


Through the Window

by Vagabond



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, I've created my own universe where things are similar but also different, M/M, frederick chilton is a loon, hannibal isn't a cannibal he doesn't even kill people, i accidentally hit myself in the feels oh god, not really much canon in this one folks, prompt, this is pretty much a trashy cheesy romance novel and I am not sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-18
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2018-01-25 13:26:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1650233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vagabond/pseuds/Vagabond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frederick Chilton accidentally crawls in the wrong window one evening and falls asleep on a stranger's couch. When he wakes up, he meets Will Graham and his life takes a turn for the better. </p><p>Based on an alternate universe prompt by <a href="http://tickatocka.tumblr.com/post/85456038831/i-really-want-an-i-accidentally-broke-into-your">tickatocka</a> on tumblr:</p><p>  <i>i really want an “i accidentally broke into your house/apartment because my friend lives next door to you and i was in the area, drunk, and i thought i was climbing into the right window and falling asleep on the right couch (and i did wonder when my friend got two cats but i didn’t question it) so now i’m hungover and shirtless in your living room so um hi howya doin” au</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Saturday Morning

**Author's Note:**

> I read this prompt and immediately thought of Will and Frederick, so I had to write this. I know all I write is Frederick/Will but this pairing brings me so much joy I can't help it. This is all self-indulgent ridiculousness that isn't beta'ed so I apologize in advance. 
> 
> I'll update once I'm a chapter ahead. Eventually there will be smut I'm sure but for now it only warrants a G rating.

Light streamed through the window and hit Will straight in the face and he groaned. He rolled over and shoved his face into his pillow, trying to run away from consciousness even as the wheels in his mind began turning and he knew it was time to get up. He’d had a late night of prepping for his class the next afternoon and was in no particular mood to get up, but he rolled over onto his back and sat up none the less. As he did, though, he frowned and looked around the room to find it decidedly empty of dogs. Strange he thought to himself because usually the dogs would sneak onto the bed sometime in the night and he’d wake up with both Winston and Buster curled up near him. 

He swung his legs off of the bed and stood, stretching briefly before he padded out the open bedroom door and into the main part of the apartment. The apartment was small, boasting only two bedrooms, a small living room, a kitchen, and a single bathroom, but it worked for him. It was enough space for him and the dogs, and apparently also for the man currently passed out on his couch. Will frowned as he stood in the living room and stared at the stranger who was sprawled out on his couch. There was a draft from the open window through which the man must have climbed and his two dogs were sitting by the couch staring at the intruder. 

“You couldn’t have barked?” Will asked them as the two dogs looked at him, ears perked up curiously. “You are both the worst guard dogs on this planet. You’re fired.” He gave them a disapproving look and Winston’s tail wagged against the ground in response. 

The stranger had dark hair and 5 o’clock shadow. He was still dressed in a fancy button up shirt with a loose tie hanging around his neck and a pair of wrinkled slacks. His shoes were missing and Will scanned the room to see if the man had kicked them off, but they were nowhere to be seen. Interesting. He also appeared to be missing a sock that had made its way into Buster’s mouth. Winston tried to take the sock out of the other dog’s mouth and the two began growling at each other and playing tug-o-war. 

Oh, he had a feeling his overnight guest was going to love that. 

Amused and having decided the stranger was probably a harmless drunk who had, for some reason, wandered into his apartment, Will made his way into the kitchen and put a pot of coffee on. Then he filled a glass with water and made his way back out to the living room where he stood above the stranger and tipped the glass to dribble water on the man’s face. 

It certainly had its desired effect when the man startled awake, yelped in confusion, and struggled to sit up while also trying to wipe at his face. He looked panicked and Will almost felt bad, but the feeling was gone when he reminded himself that this strange man had broken into his house and slept on his couch. 

“Hannibal, what the he-” he stopped midway through the sentence and stared at Will before he began to look frantically around the living room and then to the dogs playing with his sock, “hey that is my sock…where the hell am I?” He looked back to Will, confusion evident in his blue-green eyes. Will remained silently and watched as the other man no doubt began trying to piece together the situation. 

“Oh god. Oh god I broke into your house didn’t I? I swear to god I didn’t mean to. My friend, he lives in this apartment complex I think,” he frowned, “I thought I was in his apartment but I must have mistaken it for yours. Did you call the police? I swear I don’t do this sort of thing typically.” 

“Do you want coffee?” Will asked and felt strangely satisfied when the stranger looked at him as if he’d grown a second head. 

“Yes? Is this some ploy to keep me here until the police arrive? Have you poisoned the coffee? Why aren’t you freaking out, a stranger broke into your home, that seems like something you should be concerned by.” The man looked completely baffled now and ran his fingers through his damp hair. 

“You seemed to be freaking out enough for the both of us, so I thought I’d let you take care of that while I took care of coffee. I imagine you have a headache.” Will answered easily and left the room to go into the kitchen. He decided to take his time in locating some aspirin in order to give his house guest a little bit of time to gather himself. It was about five minutes later that he walked out with a mug of coffee and two white pills which he set on the coffee table in front of the other man. 

“Thank you,” the other man murmured as he popped the pills into his mouth and sipped carefully at the coffee, “I’m Frederick, by the way, and I can’t believe I broke into your apartment.” 

“Pleasure, Frederick, I’m Will.” He glanced over at his dogs who had abandoned the sock in favor of wrestling. “Did you have a chance to figure out what happened that led you to my couch?” 

“I was at a function last night for work and I, ah,” the man – Frederick – flushed and Will found it slightly endearing, “drank too much, obviously. My friend lives in this building, I’m almost certain he’s one of your neighbors, and I thought I was breaking into his house.” 

“Do you usually crawl into people’s houses through the window, Frederick?” Will tried out the man’s name and liked the way it felt. The flustered dark haired stranger in front of him certainly seemed like a Frederick, somehow. 

“He and I have an understanding,” Frederick hesitated and then shrugged a bit, “it isn’t important. I’m grateful you didn’t call the police.” 

Will shrugged and didn’t really think anything of it. Maybe if Frederick had woken up and decided to be violent, or appeared to be anything other than a confused drunk hung over from a night of too much partying, he would have considered calling the police. As it was, he didn’t feel like putting in the effort to rake the other man over the coals. He already seemed ashamed enough and Will found it amusing, but he wasn’t cruel enough to drag it out. 

“What happened to your shoes?” Will inquired as he finally dropped down into the plush chair he had in the living room. Frederick responded by looking down at his feet and frowning in what would have been a comical scene, if it weren’t for the look of forlorn confusion on his face. 

“I don’t know. It was a rough night. I must have misplaced them somewhere.” Frederick frowned at his feet. 

“How do you just happen to misplace your shoes before climbing through a stranger’s window?” Will asked and when the older man looked over at him scornfully he shrugged and waved it off, “never mind. It isn’t important. What is it exactly you do?” 

“I’m a doctor,” Frederick grimaced as he admitted it and took a sip of his coffee, “a psychiatrist. I was at a function for local psychiatrists and, well, I don’t really have much of a taste for a lot of my colleagues.” He made a face that Will thought was one part sad, one part disgusted, and he was curious but didn’t prod further. 

“They don’t have a taste for me, either,” he paused, “but you don’t need to hear about that. Once again I want to say that I am sorry about this whole debacle. Your mercy in light of the situation is appreciated. I should probably be going, though. Sorry to impose.” He stood and Will was momentarily worried the other man was going to lose his balance. However, Frederick appeared to steady himself and finally looked at Will. 

“You can use the front door this time.” Will pointed out nonchalantly and found joy in the look Frederick gave him in return, “and next time, if you ever want to drop by again.” 

“Kind and funny, my hero,” Frederick answered dryly and walked toward the door. He looked ridiculous in his wrinkled and out of place clothing, one sock on, one sock off, and no shoes to be found. “Thank you again,” he said quietly as he opened the door and stepped outside, “for not calling the cops, and the coffee.” He nodded to Will and then shut the door as he stepped out into the hallway. 

Will stared at the door for a long moment and reevaluated the situation. Then he pinched his arm and grimaced at the spark of pain the action produced. He definitely hadn’t been dreaming. With a glance at the dogs and the discarded, slobber-covered sock on the ground, he gave into a fit of laughter at the absurdity of his morning. 

*

Frederick heard the door click shut and groaned softly. He pressed the heels of his hands into his gritty eyes and willed the pounding behind them to stop. The previous night was a blur and he was certain he’d managed to make a fool of himself at the party. His colleagues already had a poor opinion of him and he was certain whatever he’d done last night had solidified it all the more. With a heavy sigh he glanced down the hall and realized that he was two doors down from Hannibal’s apartment. He walked down the hall, stood in front of the door, hesitated, and then knocked. Of course he was never going to hear the end of it. 

Hannibal opened the door, already dressed impeccably for the day, and regarded Frederick with curious eyes. They roamed over his body and Frederick felt like every little out of place thing about him was being categorized and stored away in his friend’s mind. He scowled and Hannibal smirked and stepped back from the door, motioning for him to step inside. 

“You look like you had quite the night, Frederick.” Hannibal pointed out cooly as Frederick stepped inside and the door shut behind him. 

“Yes, well,” he smoothed down the front of his shirt and turned back to his friend, “I crawled in the wrong window.” 

The taller man’s eyebrows raised and he tilted his head to the side ever so slightly. An amused smile was tugging at the corner of his lips and Frederick hated him a little bit for it. 

“I take it you had a delightful time at the party then? I regret leaving early now.” Hannibal’s maroon eyes sparkled with delight as they once again scanned over Frederick’s body from his head down to his mismatched feet. 

“You know I hate those things, but you let me stay. You could have given me an out, you know. Asked me to step outside to talk or something but instead you just left me there for the sharks.” Frederick felt himself scowling and hated how satisfied the other man looked. He was upset, damnit, and Hannibal was supposed to be his friend. He wanted pity, sympathy, something that didn’t involve him being the butt of some universal joke. 

“They are our colleagues, Frederick, not sharks. I assumed you could hold your own. You were free to leave of your own volition anytime you wished.” Hannibal shrugged his stupidly perfect broad shoulders as he shoved his hands elegantly into his pockets. 

“Shut up,” Frederick grumbled because he wasn’t in the mood to hear the truth as he stalked into the living room and dropped moodily onto the couch. It was the couch he had intended to sleep on, free of dogs and implied breaking and entering. Hannibal followed and stood just inside the living room, looking thoughtful. 

“You said you crawled through the wrong window. Where precisely did you end up?” 

“Two doors down. Some guy named Will.” Frederick shrugged as he slumped back into the sofa and sighed gratefully when the lights were shut off and Hannibal became a shadowy figure illuminated by the light creeping through the curtains. The pounding in his head lessened. 

“Yes. I believe I’ve encountered him once or twice. How did he react to finding you sleeping on his couch?” Hannibal asked and Frederick closed his eyes as he tried to fight through his fuzzy mind in order to create an answer. 

“He poured water on my face and then gave me coffee and aspirin,” he finally answered and jumped a bit when he felt Hannibal’s hand against his forehead and then against his cheek. 

“You’re going to be dehydrated, Frederick. You’re already warm. Drink some water and rest before you try to make the trip home.” Hannibal suggested before he stepped away and Frederick relaxed again. 

“Work today?” Frederick asked tiredly, trying to be polite though he was quickly slipping back into a state of exhausted sleep. 

“I have a few things I need to attend to. Rest and go home, Frederick. Enjoy your Saturday.” Frederick heard Hannibal hesitate, felt the tension that often hung between two people when there was something someone wanted to say but didn’t, and then Hannibal was gone as indicated by the door shutting. 

Frederick just shifted down onto his side and pressed his face into the cold leather couch cushion. He drifted back to sleep easily.


	2. Sittin' in a Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys talk to their friends about their really strange night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I happened to have three chapters written before posting this story, so here is a bonus chapter. Chapter three will be up when chapter four is written.

Something buzzed beneath his cheek and Frederick groaned and shoved at whatever it was that threatened to pull him out of his comfortable rest. When he heard something thump to the floor he cracked open his eyes wearily and gazed down only to realize it was his cell phone going off. He’d set it on the couch so that it wasn’t an uncomfortable lump in his pocket and now, apparently, someone was calling him. 

He sighed and retrieved the phone, lazily hitting the answer key as he put it up to his ear. 

“Hello,” Frederick mumbled, his mouth feeling dry as he stared up at the darkened ceiling. 

Light still trickled in from the windows so he knew he hadn’t slept the entire day away. A glance at a clock sitting above the mantle told him it was just after noon, meaning he had slept for a few hours but not long enough to overstay his welcome. 

“Frederick? It is Alana…are you alright?” He heard a note of worry in her voice and sighed again. She’d been at the party the previous night, meaning she’d probably seen him make a drunken fool out of himself. 

“Yes, Alana. I am just peachy. Thanks for asking,” and even though he knew she didn’t deserve his snippy tone, because he recalled her defending him the previous evening, he was too tired and headachy to care. He could apologize later. 

“I was worried about you. Did you make it to Hannibal’s alright?” 

Frederick struggled up to sit and rested his back against the arm of the couch, legs stretched out in front of him. Thoughtfully he regarded his mismatched feet and then returned his gaze to the ceiling. Oh, if only she knew where he had ended up before making it to Hannibal’s. 

“Yes. I’m there now, actually. I was sleeping off the hangover,” he hesitated before continuing, “how big of a fool was I last night, Alana? I remember bits and pieces but after the fourth glass of champagne things started to get fuzzy.” 

“You were defending yourself, Frederick. It got a bit heated but people are going to think what they’re going to think, no matter what you do. You could have been a perfect gentleman last night and they still would paint a target on your back because they’re bitter that they don’t have what you have,” she sounded so genuine, but Frederick just groaned pathetically. 

“It was bad, wasn’t it.” 

“Yes,” Alana finally answered honestly, sounding a bit guilty. 

“I should issues apologies, shouldn’t I?”

“Probably, but you’re not going to.” 

He laughed because she was right. Even though he’d humiliated himself it was par for the course in his career. Somehow, some way, he’d still managed to get jobs and in some circles people respected the work he did. Those circles just didn’t reside in Baltimore, Maryland where he was forced to interact with the people who did. 

“They think I deserved it, Alana. They think I deserved to get attacked,” Frederick pointed out as he stared at a fixed point on the ceiling, “that’s the part I don’t understand.” 

“Don’t let them get to you. Most of them are bitter old men who thought they were in line for your job and were passed over by someone younger. That is what is underneath all of their attacks and gossip.” Alana sounded serious and Frederick decided this time around she wasn’t trying to pull punches to make him feel better about himself. 

Or else she’d just gotten really good at making him feel better, but either way he’d take it. 

“Thank you Alana,” Frederick mumbled as he rested his temple against the back cushion of the couch and closed his eyes, “for that and for checking in.” 

“Any time. Is Hannibal taking care of you?” 

“No, he had some errands to run. It is fine, though. I’m feeling better and plan to make the drive back to my place in a little bit. Then I have one more day of freedom before I have to show my face at work. I’m just glad my employees at least tolerate me.” 

“Get some rest, Frederick. Forget about last night if you can. Bitter people will always find a reason to be cruel to those they’re jealous of.” 

“What would I do without you and Hannibal, Alana?” Frederick asked with a soft laugh and heard Alana echo it on the other end of the line.

“You’d probably be asleep in a gutter somewhere, or else passed out in your car. I’ll talk to you later though, alright? We’ll grab lunch Monday to ease the pain.” There was a smile in her voice and Frederick pictured it in his head.

“Alright, I’ll talk to you later.” 

They said their goodbyes and he hung up, sliding his phone back into his pocket. He opened his eyes and swung his feet off of the couch and onto the floor. Pausing, he waited for his head to stop feeling light and was pleased to find it only took a moment of stillness. When he stood he felt okay and navigated into the kitchen where he retrieved a glass of water and guzzled it down. Hannibal hadn’t been joking; he was definitely dehydrated and would probably have a headache for a good portion of the day. 

As he downed his second glass of water, and a couple aspirin he located in Hannibal’s cupboard, he thought back to the morning. The whole thing shouldn’t have been so easy, waking up in a stranger’s house after inadvertently breaking in, but Will had just smiled and appeared amused. It fascinated him. The police should have been called, or at the very least some sort of weapon employed, but Will had offered him coffee and aspirin instead. It bothered him because he didn’t fully understand that kind of thinking, but he was grateful for it. 

So he filed the information away in his mind and as he was heading to his car he paused in front of Will’s door and memorized the apartment number. The information could be useful. 

*

Will had a lot to think about when he took the dogs on their morning walk. It wasn’t every day he woke up to a stranger in his house, let alone a harmless man who had ended up there because he’d had too much to drink the previous night. 

“Frederick,” he rolled the name around on his tongue as they walked around the neighborhood, the dogs oblivious to his thoughts as they sniffed around the grass to his left. Will still wasn’t sure what to make of the stranger that had shown up in his home, but for some reason he couldn’t get him out of his head. 

Maybe it was normal to obsess for a bit over someone breaking into his house and sleeping on his couch. It certainly wasn’t a typical occurrence, for which he was grateful. Yet it felt like something more than just a curiosity. Something about Frederick struck him as interesting and Will’s curiosity was getting the better of him. He blamed his tendency toward empathy for his interest in the other man as he walked his dogs and stared out ahead of them deep in thought. 

Just from the short time he’d spent with Frederick he’d picked up a great deal off of the other man. Frederick was a bundle of insecurities wrapped in false confidence all hidden behind what Will could only assume was probably a prestigious career. He had a feeling it was a treat to see the other man disarmed as he was, stumbling over his words and thanking him for not calling the police. Frederick didn’t seem like the type of man to be caught off guard like that often and Will was grateful that it had been his apartment and not his neighbors next door who wouldn’t have been so kind. 

Will rounded the block and made it back into the apartment building. The dogs trailed at his heels, tails wagging contentedly as they were led down the hallway. He noticed one of his neighbors attempting to unlock his door even though his arms were laden with groceries and Will immediately stepped in to help. 

“Here, let me get those.” 

It required him to let go of the leashes but his dogs just padded down the hall and sat down outside of the door to their apartment while Will was preoccupied. He gathered two of the bags into his arms and held them while his neighbor unlocked the door and pushed it open. When the other man’s maroon eyes turned on him, Will felt his stomach tighten nervously. Confidence radiated off of him, as well as a profound sense of curiosity that left Will flustered. 

“Thank you.” His neighbor smiled ever so slightly and set the bags in his arms just inside the door before he took the ones out of Will’s arms and did the same with them. “I’m afraid I was a little carried away. I’m stubborn and didn’t want to set the bags down, which was really my downfall.” 

Will couldn’t quite place the accent but he found it distinctly pleasing, even though the other man’s eyes were still unsettling. Belatedly he realized he was being analyzed and felt the weight of it. 

“You’re Will, yes? I believe we’ve bumped into each other before but I’m not certain we’ve ever been properly introduced,” the man reached out and offered his hand to Will and Will took it, shaking firmly but quickly. 

“Ah, yeah. I’m afraid I never caught your name, though. We’ve been neighbors for a while, I think.” Will shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets as he stared down the hallway at the dogs. 

“Hannibal. I’m afraid you had a surprise visitor this morning, and unfortunately it was in part my fault. My friend and I have an arrangement and it would seem he chose the wrong window to climb through.” Hannibal smiled and shrugged delicately, following Will’s gaze down the hall to the dogs. “I do hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience.” 

“No, not at all. He was harmless enough,” now Will was looking directly at Hannibal and their eyes met briefly, “really, it didn’t bother me. He seemed like he needed a safe place to be and I guess I provided that for him. It is a bit unorthodox, though, to have your friend climbing through your window, isn’t it?” 

Hannibal just shrugged again and Will didn’t press the issue because his dogs were whining at the door and he needed to get them water. 

“Well, it was nice meeting you. Maybe I’ll see you around.” Will offered a quick smile before he brushed past the man and ignored the eyes he felt drifting over his retreating form. 

“Take care, Will,” Hannibal called before he disappeared into his apartment and Will heard the door click shut. 

Will fumbled with his keys before he finally opened the door and the dogs trotted in, him following. He freed them of their leashes and shut his door. The dogs made a beeline for the kitchen and he followed and filled their respective bowls with water. Buster and Winston drank greedily as Will padded back out into the living room and dropped onto the couch. If he had it his way, he’d consider his people quota maxed out for the month after waking up to a stranger in his house and muddling through a conversation with his disarming neighbor down the hallway. 

He picked up his cell and dialed, putting the phone to his ear. 

“This is Bev,” the voice on the other end of the line said instead of ‘hello’. She sounded busy and Will was tempted to hang up and call back later. 

“Did you even look at the caller ID before picking up, Bev?” Will asked with a laugh as he rested his head back into the couch cushion. 

“Will! No, I am a bit distracted. I’m working on a presentation for class.” He could hear her typing and imagined she had the phone tucked between her cheek and shoulder, head tilted in order to pull it off, with her legs tucked under her. She’d be on the couch, laptop resting precariously on her angled lap. Sometimes images like that came unbidden to him, his mind creating them based on the tone of voice and ambient sound. For all he knew she was really sprawled out on the floor, or sitting at her desk, yet those were not the images that flooded his mind. 

“-and I hope they’re not expecting anything huge. I still can’t figure out all of the intricacies of powerpoint.” 

Will realized sheepishly he’d zoned out and missed half of what Beverly had said. 

“Yeah, right,” he filled in lamely and heard her click her tongue. 

“You weren’t listening, were you? Need I remind you that you called me?” She laughed and the sound put him at ease, “what’s going on, Will? Why the call? I already agreed to guest lecture Monday. I promise I’ll show up.” 

“No, no, it isn’t that. I’ve just, had a weird day.” He sighed and closed his eyes and imagined Beverly setting her laptop aside to hold the phone to her ear with her hand, posture attentive and thoughtful even though he wouldn’t be able to see it. 

“What kind of weird day?” 

“The kind where I woke up and a stranger, who came in through the window apparently, was sleeping on my couch.” 

“Will Graham, are you messing with me? Someone broke into your house to sleep on your couch? It isn’t even that great of a couch!” He heard her shifting around and figured she was settling in to hear the story. At least he had her full attention now. 

“He didn’t really break into the apartment to sleep on the couch, not specifically, and my couch is plenty great.” Will scowled and ran his free hand over one of the couch cushions affectionately. “He meant to climb in through the window of the guy down the hall who is apparently his friend. The guy was drunk, made a mistake, ended up in my apartment on accident.” 

“That’s a pretty weird accident. It is that guy with the accent? Tall, sandy colored hair, wearing a nice suit?”

“How do you know my neighbor, Bev?” Will’s eyebrows furrowed and he heard her clear her throat. 

“I, ah, ran into him once. For reasons. It isn’t important, Will. Why are you butting into my business?” 

Will just laughed and shook his head. It wasn’t worth it to pry further so he just rested his eyes and tried to remember the reason he’d called his friend in the first place. 

“So this guy who showed up, something about him struck you didn’t it. Was he cute?” 

“Not really. I mean, he was handsome in his own kind of weird way, but the guy was also hung over and looked ready to pass out and sleep for ten years. It is kind of hard to find that attractive.” Will snorted and opened his eyes when he felt a cold nose nudging at his hand. It was Buster, who apparently had jumped up onto the couch and was now demanding to be touched. Of course Will gave in willingly, scratching the top of the dog’s head as he settled onto the couch. 

“Then what is it? What are your weird spidey sense telling you, Will?” Beverly asked and Will appreciated how well she knew him. 

“I don’t know, but I know I sort of hope I run into him again.” 

“Will Graham are you in love? Is this going to turn out like one of those cheesy chick flicks Zeller and Price make me watch every Friday so that we can all make fun of them?” 

“No. Jesus, Bev. I’m just…intrigued. You know I can’t explain it.” He huffed into the phone and glowered a bit. “It isn’t like it is important, anyway. He isn’t going to crawl through my window again.” 

“What was his name?” Beverly asked seemingly out of the blue. 

“Frederick.” Will replied and heard her coo teasingly on the other end of the line. 

“Will and Frederick, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-”

He hung up on her and dropped the phone unceremoniously onto the couch cushion, rolling his eyes. She liked to give him a hard time and he supposed he deserved it, because he had a tendency to fixate on things and waking up to find a lonely stranger on his couch was definitely something he was tempted to fixate on. His phone buzzed so he glanced at the screen and saw a text from Beverly. 

_All kidding aside, you should see if you can find this guy again. Just to make sure he was alright._

With a little smile he decided not to reply and just rested his hand back on top of Buster’s head. 

“What do you think, little guy? I think I’m just crazy.” 

Buster yipped in reply and Will wasn’t quite sure how to interpret it.


	3. A Prickly Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frederick buys Will a 'thank you for not calling the police' gift and the whole thing turns out a lot better than initially expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are looking for smut it is a long ways out but I promise you this fic is going to get steamy one of these days. I kept telling myself it would only be five chapters but honestly IDK how long this thing will be. Things keep developing. I've lost control of my life. Send help. 
> 
> I made Chilton half-Cuban, since I appreciate his heritage and even though it is not attributed to the character of Chilton it is also not NOT attributed to him. So what the hell. 
> 
> I'm going out on a limb and assume mijo is used in Cuba. I'll be real in that my Spanish is mostly limited to Mexican dialects (with a little knowledge of Nicaragua's cultural deviations and Puerto Rican slang/dialect) so hopefully it doesn't offend. I couldn't find anything online that said any other term of endearment was used for children.

Around the corner from Frederick’s Baltimore home was a grocery store that boasted a generous floral department. All day Saturday he’d nursed his hangover and by the time he fell back asleep in the evening he’d felt somewhat normal. Thankfully he woke up Sunday feeling even better than normal, which inspired him to take a walk to the grocery store. He stood in front of the display of bouquets, considering each one with a critical eye. 

It was absurd, he knew, to feel obligated to buy a gift for the man whose house he’d violated. The smart move would be to forget it ever happened and avoid Hannibal’s neighbor like the plague for the rest of his life, or at least until his friend moved out of the apartment building. However, a bigger part of him felt like it would be a nice gesture. Flowers were the first thing that came to his mind but as he stared at the cacophony of colors presented before him, he realized it was probably a wholly inappropriate gift. 

“God, Frederick, just leave it be,” he grumbled to himself as he reached out to touch the petals on a rose. From the corner of his eye he noticed a grocery store attendant approaching cautiously. 

“Sir, can I help you with anything?” She asked, and he was certain she was concerned about the fact he’d been staring at the flowers for nearly half an hour. 

_Sure, what would you suggest I get for the guy whose house I accidentally broke into, daisies or irises?_ He kept the thought to himself and did his best not to roll his eyes lest she think it was her he wasn’t taking seriously. No, he just wanted to roll his eyes at his own ridiculous thoughts. 

“No, thanks. I think I’ve got it covered.” 

“Okay. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything, sir,” she offered him a nervous smile and left him alone to his flowers. 

He quickly decided flowers were a stupid idea and walked a few paces over to where there was a display of plants. Perhaps a potted plant would be more appropriate; something to say, ‘I’m sorry I broke into your house, here is something you can put into a pot and stick in your windowsill to alert you the next time a drunk loser breaks into your house’. Frederick scoffed, eyes scanning over what was offered until his eyes landed on a display that was tucked away behind a bigger shelf of flowers. 

On it were a row of tiny cacti of various shapes. He peered at them thoughtfully, stopped himself from reaching out to touch the spines, and finally picked one up by the pot and decided it was perfect. Why was it perfect? He didn’t really know, but it felt like something Will would like. Not that he knew Will by any stretch of the imagination, but something told him the other man would at least appreciate the gesture. He hoped. Frederick fidgeted and second guessed himself for a moment before he turned and marched to the checkout stand. There was no going back. 

He left the store with his cactus in a paper bag and made his way back to his house. Perhaps he’d just leave the cactus in front of Will’s door and let the man find it. No, that would be even weirder than him taking the plant and offering it up as an apology. With a low groan he gazed up at the overcast sky for a moment as he walked, trying to decide if he had made a terrible decision. He probably had, but strangely enough it wasn’t about to stop him. 

Frederick arrived back at his front door and let himself into the otherwise empty house, sighing as the door clicked shut behind him. He left the cactus on the table near the door along with his keys and paced into the kitchen. The house was three bedrooms, two baths, and two stories tall. Two bedrooms upstairs, one bedroom downstairs that had been converted into an office, a kitchen, small dining room, living room, and a small den. It was a lovely house, his house, something he’d bought with every intention of his mother moving in, and one day having a family. 

At forty-three years of age those dreams seemed all the more distant than they had at thirty-two when he bought the house. His mother had begun having difficulty living on her own. She had trouble paying the bills on time, kept losing things, and struggled with her memory. Frederick had been ready to do the right thing and bring his mother to Baltimore to live with him, to finish out the rest of her days in a house with a bottom floor bedroom under the watchful eye of her only child, but she had refused. Ever the proud Cuban woman she was, she had insisted she wanted to remain in Florida where his father had been buried. She couldn’t leave him, and when Frederick offered to uproot his life and look for work down there she had equally refused. 

_Mijo, you need to live your own life. Not fuss over an old woman. You come visit, but that’s all you need to do._

A small part of him had been relieved at the time but now, as he stood in his lonely kitchen and thought about what he could make for an early lunch, he wished he’d been more insistent about it. Of course he’d finally convinced her to move into a care facility down in Florida and did his best to visit her whenever possible, but not long after she’d moved she deteriorated and eventually passed away. It had been three and a half years since her passing and it still bothered him. He blinked away the tears that the memory brought and set about preparing a meatless sandwich with chips and an apple that he ate leaning against the counter while he stared at the wall. 

He finished eating and rinsed the dishes before he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket to check his messages. 

_Feeling better?_

It was a text from Alana and he smiled a bit, shooting her a quick text back assuring her that he was physically fine and his delicate ego would eventually recover. 

_Allow me to make you dinner tonight, Frederick._

The next text was from Hannibal and Frederick hesitated in responding. Odds were his friend was going to want to talk about his drinking incident and he would probably end up getting both a chastising and a pep talk for his behavior. If there was one thing Hannibal was good for, it was giving him a reality check that could be both positive and negative. He kind of hated the man for it. 

_Yeah, alright. Your vegan cooking is a lot better than mine, anyway_ , Frederick texted back and it was true. He’d had a modified diet for a year and a half but still wasn’t used to cooking without animal products. Unfortunately he often learned the hard way what contained animal fats his body couldn’t handle and what didn’t. It had been a long year of experimentation and he had finally begun to figure it all out, but Hannibal’s meals often made him feel like he was eating normal food again. His phone buzzed.

_Seven o’clock. You can provide the wine._

Frederick tucked his phone back into his pocket and stood in his kitchen thinking for a long moment, gaze trained on what he could see of the paper bag resting on the table by the door. Since he would be going to Hannibal’s he had a good excuse to drop in on Will and give him his apology gift. It seemed like as good a time as any and he doubted he’d get another chance. Perhaps it would blow up in his face and Will would take out a restraining order against the weirdo who broke into his house, slept on his couch, and then brought him a cactus the next day. Yet another part of him hoped for a different outcome and he felt a flutter in his chest and wondered if this was how his slow descent into insanity would begin. 

Later, as he stood in front of Will’s door a half an hour before Hannibal was expecting him, he was almost sure he was losing it. He’d tracked down some ribbon and wrapped it around the lip of the pot and tied it in a bow to try and make the cactus look a bit more gift-like. With a deep breath in he raised his hand to knock on the door and then hesitated before his knuckles made contact. 

_Come on Frederick_ , he thought to himself, _just knock on the door and thank him for being merciful, give him the cactus, and walk away_. Just as he was about to touch the door it swung open and a startled looking Will stared at him for a long moment. Frederick just stared back before he impulsively held up the cactus. 

“I, uh, I got this for you. I j-j-just wanted to say, you know, thanks for not calling the police.” Frederick was proud he’d managed to stutter out anything at that rate, considering he’d been caught off guard and his whole plan had flown out the window. 

“You got me a cactus?” Will asked as he gently took it out of Frederick’s hands. It was for the best, because knowing Frederick’s luck he’d drop it or it would tip forward and Will would be stuck like a pin cushion. 

“I looked at flowers,” the words were just falling out of his mouth now even as his brain told him to shut up, “but I didn’t think flowers were appropriate and I figured that a cactus would be easy to take care of and they last a really long time,” like my gratitude? God, I’m such a loser. “This was probably incredibly stupid but I am truly grateful for your mercy.” Frederick grimaced but stared straight ahead at Will, refusing to back down and appear any weaker than he already felt. 

Will smiled at him and something inside his chest melted a little bit because the response he’d been expecting (disgust, annoyance, anger) never came. Instead, Will regarded the cactus with an almost thoughtful look before he stepped back into his apartment and motioned with his head for Frederick to follow. 

“C’mon, let’s see if I can’t find somewhere to put this.” 

Frederick stepped inside awkwardly and shut the door almost all the way but made sure it didn’t click because he wanted to be able to make a quick getaway if he needed to. He watched from just inside the apartment as Will padded over to his kitchen table and put the cactus in the middle of it. Buster and Winston approached and sniffed at Frederick curiously and he glanced down at the dogs, reaching to politely pat their heads before he straightened back up. 

He watched apprehensively as Will walked back into the living room, hands shoved casually in his pockets. The other man was dressed in an old t-shirt and a pair of jeans and Frederick barely caught himself when his eyes began to roam over his form. Clearing his throat, he shifted from one foot to the other and then met Will’s gaze. For once he felt shy and didn’t really appreciate the feeling, especially not when he realized his cheeks were reddening. 

“Well, I…should probably go.”

“Frederick, wait,” Will stepped closer and pulled out his phone, “can I have your number?”

Of course in that moment all Frederick could do was stand there and stare dumbly at the other man. It didn’t make any sense to him. Will was asking him for his number and he couldn’t imagine why. Was the other man going to finally report him for being a creep? Would he write his number on a bathroom stall somewhere to get back at him for breaking into his house? The possibilities were endless and he couldn’t believe that Will wanted his number simply to have it. 

“Uh, sure?” He took Will’s phone when it was offered and hastily typed his number in, double checking it, before adding his name and saving. Frederick handed it back and made brief eye contact before he glanced away and found himself preoccupied with Winston who was scratching behind his ear. 

“Thanks for the cactus, Frederick,” Will stated softly and offered up a smile when Frederick finally glanced back at him. 

“You’re welcome. I, well, should be going now. You have my number so you can call if you want. For. Whatever.” What reason could Will have to want his number? It still worried Frederick but he tried to push his worried thoughts to the back of his mind. Anything he could think of would just be irrational so he tried not to think. “Take care.” 

He made a hasty retreat out the door and let it shut behind him. Once he was in the hallway he felt he could breathe and sucked in a deep breath before he headed back to his car. He’d left the wine in the trunk and still had ten minutes before Hannibal was expecting him. After the trip to his car he made his way back to his friend’s apartment and knocked. Hearing a ‘come in’ stated firmly from behind the door, he allowed himself into the apartment and walked into the kitchen with the wine which he set on the counter. 

“Hello.” He greeted and tried to look casual, though one glance from his friend’s maroon eyes told him he was doing a terrible job. 

“Surely you’re not nervous on my account, Frederick?” Hannibal looked back to the food he was preparing. 

“No, I may have visited your neighbor again briefly,” Frederick hesitated when Hannibal side-eyed him curiously, “I took him a cactus. I don’t know, don’t give me that look Hannibal. I wanted to make up for breaking into his house and I know it is absurd but it was the only way I could stop thinking about it.” 

“And have you?” Hannibal inquired as he finished slicing olives. 

“Have I what?” Frederick asked, momentarily confused. 

“Stopped thinking about it?”

“No.”

“Hmm. Interesting,” Hannibal smirked as he said it and Frederick scowled. 

*

Will snapped a picture of the cactus sitting in the middle of his table and texted it to Beverly. 

_He bought me a cactus_ , he added as the caption and not even a minute later his phone lit up with a call from his friend. Will answered. 

“Oh my gosh he bought you a cactus? How cute is that?” Beverly exclaimed over the phone and Will grimaced as he dropped down onto one of the kitchen chairs. 

“It is certainly different, isn’t it.” 

“Do you like it?”

“I don’t not like it. To be honest I don’t really know how to feel about it.” Will sighed and drummed the fingers of his free hand against the table. 

“Yes you do, Will, you’re just not sure why you feel that way,” Beverly countered. 

“Shut up Bev.” 

“You only say that because you know I’m right. Take a chance, Will, do something crazy. Fate has given you a handsome, awkward, cactus-giving stranger and practically gift wrapped him for you. What is the harm in tracking down his number and seeing where it goes?” 

“I already have his number,” Will winced at the loud noise of surprise on the other end of the line. 

“Will Graham! You got his number! You should call him tonight.” Beverly sounded absolutely giddy. 

“I just saw him, Beverly. I can wait a couple of days. That’s what I’m supposed to do, right?” He swore he’d been told not to call someone back the same day lest he look desperate. Or something like that. To be honest he wasn’t good at keeping track of dating norms. 

“You are a grown ass man, not some college frat boy who got a girl’s number at a party and can afford to play hard to get. I bet you make his night if you call him later.”

“You think?”

“I know, Will. I know.” Beverly’s answered in a sage tone and Will shook his head and smiled. 

“Okay. I’ll maybe call him tonight. You’re going to be lecturing in my class tomorrow, right?”

“What? It was tomorrow? Oh jeez I don’t think I can make it Will…” 

“Yeah, whatever Bev. See you bright and early, 9 o’clock tomorrow morning.” Will rolled his eyes. 

“Goodnight, Will. Maybe if you’re lucky you’ll finally get laid an-”

He hung up with a snort and set his phone on the table. Other people may have been offended by him hanging up on them all the time, but Beverly was not one of them. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she did things like that on purpose in order to get him to hang up. It was one of the few times she could provoke a real, genuine response from him and for some reason she found it hilarious. When he glanced over to his right he found Winston and Buster sitting, both dogs watching him expectantly. 

“I guess you’re ready for dinner, huh?” He smiled when they both whined at him and stood up to fetch their dinner, trying to figure out what to say when he called Frederick. 

*

Frederick was jogged from his half-sleep by his ringtone and groped around for his phone. He was sprawled out on his back on the bed, still dressed in his button down and jeans. His brain was still reeling, even in its sleepy state, from the long conversation he and Hannibal had at dinner. With a yawn, he answered the phone without checking the number first. 

“Mm, hello?” 

“Oh, ah, did I wake you up? Frederick? This is Will.” 

A little jolt of adrenaline coursed through Frederick and he struggled to sit up in bed, his cheeks heating up as he shifted the phone to the other ear. He hadn’t expected Will to call him at all, let alone the same night after getting his number. 

“I wasn’t really sleeping. I just got home,” he glanced at the clock, “oh, an hour ago. I guess I might have been sleeping.” 

“Sorry, I can always call back?”

“No, no. That’s not necessary. I’m not even dressed for bed so it is good I’m awake anyway. Ah, how are you?” He felt a familiar flutter in his chest and smoothed down the fabric on his pant leg nervously. 

“Fine, I’m fine.”

There was a long silence as Frederick wracked his sleepy brain for what he could say. What was appropriate in this situation? He didn’t think there were any hard and fast rules for how to interact when the person whose house one inadvertently broke into calls after being given a cactus. It was completely unfamiliar territory. 

“So I was thinking,” Will broke the silence and Frederick felt the tension ease from his body, though his heart was still pounding, “would you like to go out this week? Dinner, maybe? Friday?” 

“Yes.” Frederick didn’t even think about the answer before he said it. After the single syllable left his lips he wondered if he should have hesitated or attempted to be less enthusiastic. Of course it was too late to reconsider because Will’s chuckle on the other end of the line brought him back to reality. 

“Let’s meet at a restaurant near your place.” 

They discussed the details briefly, Frederick’s head still reeling, and when the plan was set there was a long stretch of silence. 

“I’m glad you came by again today, Frederick.” Will sounded like he was telling the truth, even though Frederick had a hard time believing this all wasn’t some cruel prank Hannibal had concocted to encourage him to never get shit-faced drunk again. 

“Yeah. Me too. Goodnight, Will. I’ll see you Friday.” 

“Good night, Frederick.” 

They hung up and Frederick tossed his phone away from him and dramatically flopped onto his side. He buried his face in the bedspread and groaned. What had he just gotten himself into?


	4. With a little help from my friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Frederick might not really have it all together, but thankfully the friends they've surrounded themselves with do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're all going to hate me but this chapter is just more adorable development. Chapter five, though, is when they go on their first date so you have that to look forward to. 
> 
> I'll probably update again either tomorrow or Sunday. We'll see how much time I have to write this weekend. 
> 
> My love for Beverly Katz could fill this entire planet. Since Hannibal is not a killer, she never got killed, so she gets to be Will's BFF beCAUSE I SAID SO.
> 
> ps. thank you for all your kind words they make my day. also, sometimes I post pieces of what I'm writing up on tumblr so if you want sneak peeks, check me out: rdlenix.tumblr.com

“Ready for lunch?” 

Alana poked her head into Frederick’s office and startled him. He glanced up at her, removed his glasses, and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. When he looked at her again her eyebrows were furrowed slightly in concern. Frederick smiled warmly to try and assuage her as he jotted a few last things down in his notes and stood up. 

“Absolutely,” he answered as he grabbed his jacket and slung it over his arm. “Where are we going?” 

“I thought we’d go to Koba. You mentioned before you liked their sandwiches.” 

“I certainly do. That sounds perfect to me.” 

The drive was filled with idle chatter as they debriefed each other on their days. Alana had a day filled with clients, which was typical of her Mondays, as Frederick had learned. She liked to start the week with a heavy schedule and taper off as she neared Friday. Between teaching at Georgetown periodically and giving guest lectures at the FBI academy, she always kept herself busy and Frederick often admired her for it.  
Frederick’s Mondays usually consisted of catching up on what had occurred over the weekend. He would start with incident reports and contact necessary parties to try and understand the situation. If a patient was involved then he’d meet with the patient to confirm that they were well and the crisis was over. Once incident reports were done it was typically time for group with some of the patients so he would run that. After group was lunch, then back to paperwork and checking in with various patients and employees to double check that everything was running smoothly. 

Being a hospital administrator was a tricky job at times, but the emergencies were thankfully few and far between so his days were pretty typical. At one point in his career he’d maintained clients in private practice outside of the hospital, but soon it had become too much and he realized he preferred to go home and read, or work on various papers he was writing after he was done working. He needed down time. At one point in his life he’d been able to maintain a schedule like Alana’s, but as he headed toward his mid-forties he found he had begun to enjoy simpler things. 

Of course it was that and the fact he had enough to deal within the hospital walls that he didn’t feel the need to take on more clients. Even if the clients outside were often less psychotic. 

They pulled up to the restaurant and parked, walking side by side in the door to order their food and take a seat. Frederick ordered the veggie sandwich he was fond of while Alana ordered the club. As they reclined in their seats and sipped their coffee, Frederick finally met Alana’s gaze and recognized the look she was giving him. He emitted a long suffering sigh and looked back out the window in order to avoid it. 

“Frederick,” Alana said his name in a tone that he knew meant they weren’t going to avoid talking about Friday, “you seem to be handling the aftermath of Friday very well.” 

“I was grateful to only find one e-mail in my inbox this morning from some doctor I don’t even remember meeting telling me that my behavior was unacceptable. Of course he dressed it up as concerned advice, but I got the message,” Frederick frowned and finally looked back at Alana. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if whatever doctor e-mailed you hadn’t been pressured by certain other parties involved.”

Frederick was grateful to have Alana and Hannibal both on his side. There were a handful of other doctors who also respected his work, but few were willing to step up and defend him. The few psychiatrist big shots in Baltimore had scared most people into silence. In their game it was either kiss their ass, stay silent, or become a target for their own ill placed bitterness. Obviously Frederick had chosen to become a target, though it had more to do with a position he’d been appointed to at the hospital and less to do with purposely trying to show them up. 

Whatever the reason, they had decided he was the enemy and enjoyed using whatever weapons they had in their arsenal to provoke a response. They’d won out on Friday when one of them had gone so far as to poke his stomach, where they thought his scar would be, and told him he deserved it. Just the memory alone made his heart rate pick up and he stared hard at his coffee until Alana’s hand resting on top of his drew him out of it. 

“We don’t have to talk about it more, Frederick. I just want you to know that they are assholes and I’m sorry we couldn’t stop them before they made complete fools of themselves,” and me, Frederick finished in his head for her. 

“I know, Alana. Really, I had just about forgotten about it except for the email.” He looked back up at her and offered a bit of a smile, his cheeks turning a bit red which seemed to catch her attention. She withdrew her hand and sat back, glancing away only to look up at the server as he delivered the food to the table. Once he was gone her attention was back on him. 

“You’re blushing.” 

“So it would seem,” Frederick murmured in reply as he took a bite of his sandwich, trying to figure out how to explain his weekend outside of the party. 

“Did something happen between you and Hannibal?” Alana asked and sounded genuine, which caused Frederick to choke on his sandwich and gulp down some water. He shot her an un-amused look. 

“No, Alana. Not between me and Hannibal,” he paused and tried to think of a simple way to explain, but none came to mind, “between me and Hannibal’s neighbor.” 

“Frederick, what?”

“Okay, not like that, Alana. So, you know that Hannibal and I have an arrangement where if I need to, I can crash at his place whether or not he is there, correct?” He already knew the answer; he’d told her back when the arrangement was made because it had been her suggestion to him to have a safe place to go after his attack. 

“Yes. You crawl in through his window, though I still think it would have been easier for him to just give you a key,” Alana frowned a bit but then shook it off and the curiosity was back, “you went in through the wrong window didn’t you.” 

“Yes. His neighbor, Will, was kind enough not to call the police.”

“I can’t believe you crawled into a stranger’s window. That’s breaking and entering. You’re lucky he didn’t call the police, honestly.” She took another bite of her sandwich as silence stretched between them, but then she narrowed her eyes and pinned him to his chair with the look. 

“What?” 

“Did something more than you breaking and entering happen between this neighbor?”

“No anything weird. Well, alright, it was a bit strange. I,” Frederick felt his cheeks redden once more and he took a sip of his coffee before continuing, “bought him a thank you gift; a cactus.” 

“You bought a cactus after breaking into a guy’s house?” Alana asked it loudly enough that a couple of the other patrons in the restaurant glanced over but she didn’t appear to notice. “What happened then?”

“He asked me for my number.” 

“He asked you for your number?” There was surprise written all over her face, but beneath it was something that Frederick couldn’t quite interpret. Perhaps it was disgust but it seemed almost like excitement and that made him feel deeply uncomfortable. Why was everyone so interested in his social life? 

Because they are your friends, you idiot, he thought to himself as he took another bite of his sandwich and let it all sink in. 

“So?” Alana continued, staring at him, her sandwich forgotten. 

“So what?” 

“Did he call you? Are you going to call him? Did you actually give him your number? You can’t drop a bomb like this and then not expect me to want to know the details.” Alana smiled kindly at him and he decided the emotion he couldn’t read earlier had definitely been excitement. 

“Yes, he called me. We’re, well, going out this Friday for dinner. It is a really strange situation, Alana. I’m just trying to go along with it for the time being because I’m not sure what to think.” 

“Frederick,” the way she said his name caught his attention, “it might be weird but I think, well, you need weird. You know I’ve been suggesting you put yourself out there for a while now. You pulled back after the incident, and don’t you dare try to deny it,” he had been about to speak but was silenced, “because it is true. Outside of me and Hannibal you haven’t been putting yourself out there and that isn’t healthy. I don’t really subscribe to the idea of fate, but I think you’ve been given a great opportunity here.” 

“What if he’s insane? Or he realizes how insane I am?” 

“We’re all a little insane; part of relationships, I think, is learning how to accept each other’s insanity and going from there. Part of me wants to advise you against going out with the man whose house you accidentally broke into, but I also think it is worth at least a date. If nothing else you can say you had a new experience,” she smiled and he hated it because she was right. 

“Okay. I’ll keep my date. Can I eat my sandwich now?” He picked it up and took a big bite. 

Alana just laughed. 

*

“So how is Mr. Crawled-through-your-window?” Beverly asked and it jogged Will out of his train of thought. He glanced up and watched as she began closing out all of the programs on the computer, winding down from the lecture she’d successfully delivered. After the lecture she’d had a flurry of students all interested in the field of forensics and she had been more than happy to answer all of their questions. Once the room was empty, they both finally had time to breathe. 

“I don’t know. We’re going out Friday,” Will answered off handedly as he looked back down at the paper he had been grading. A student had taken some of the guest lecture time to make up and exam and he was trying to get it graded as quickly as possible. 

“Good. Are you ever going to call Jack Crawford back?” 

That got his undivided attention as he stared at Beverly and frowned. 

“I told him I’m not interested in giving lectures at the academy. University of Baltimore’s undergraduate students are enough for me, thanks,” he looked away and glanced over the empty lecture hall. 

“You know he doesn’t just want you to lecture,” Beverly pointed out. 

“I know. I helped him once and I plan to keep it that way. Crime scenes aren’t for me, Bev. You know what they do to my head and I know if I talk to Crawford he’s going to spew something about how I’m the only person who can do what I do, and I have a gift and should use it for the good of the world, and that whole spiel. I don’t want to be guilted into putting myself into a situation that makes me uncomfortable,” he sighed because it made him feel guilty anyway, but he knew he was making the better decision. 

“You should at least call him back.”

“Yeah, and have him keep calling me anyway trying to convince me to work for him? No thanks. I get paid enough here, teaching is easy enough, my students are eager to learn the finer points of criminology, and that is all I could ask for.” He was being stubborn, and a small part of him knew that he could do a lot of good for the bureau, but the Hobbs case still stuck with him and he didn’t want to live with more murderers in his head. 

“Will,” he jumped because Bev had crossed the room in order to rest a hand on his shoulder, “I understand. He just pesters me about it because he knows I see you. And a small part of me also knows that with the right supports in place, you could really help break some cases.” 

“I will call Crawford back myself and make sure he knows my answer is still no. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t ditch out on my classes this close to the end of the semester. I teach only one summer class, maybe we could reevaluate then.” He felt his resolve breaking and he hated every bit of it, but sometimes his guilt won out. It wasn’t as if he didn’t want to help people, but having the thoughts and motives of killers floating around in his head 24/7 didn’t seem appealing. 

“Really, though, are you excited for Friday?” 

Will was grateful for the subject change and set to gathering up his papers. While Beverly had lectured, he’d been working on grading. As he stacked up his piles and stuck them in his bag he considered his answer to her question carefully. He was excited, but it was a nervous sort of excitement. It had been a while since he’d last been on a date, and while he was confident he could still pull it off, he was still a bit apprehensive. 

“Yes, and no.”

“That’s as clear as mud,” Beverly teased and Will shot her a look and she playfully zipped up her mouth and tossed away the key. 

“It has been a while, alright? I’m just worried I will end up spilling water on him or freaking him out.” 

“Will, the guy crawled through your window and then brought you a cactus to make up for it. I have a hard time believing you’re going to freak him out somehow.” 

She was right, and Will laughed. He laughed because he remembered the look on Frederick’s face the moment he presented the cactus, and then smiled because the way the man had fidgeted and shifted uncomfortably afterward had been endearing. If he couldn’t impress the attractive, intriguingly awkward psychiatrist that had crawled through his window on accident and slept on his couch, then he wasn’t sure who he’d ever be able to impress. 

“You’re right. I’m over thinking it.” He slung his bag over his shoulder and turned to found Beverly had done the same. They walked out of the classroom together. 

“You should text him. Ask him how his Monday went.” There was a glint in her eyes that told Will she was egging him on. She wanted it almost more than he did. 

“Do you want his number? You seem to be pretty fond of him.” The comment earned him a playful punch to the arm as they walked down the hallway and out into the parking lot. 

“You’re a jerk, Will. Get out of here. Go home, eat dinner, play with your dogs, and if you’re not a loser you’ll text Frederick.” 

“What if he thinks I’m being desperate?” Will shot back as he stopped and looked over at Beverly. She swatted his rear playfully and began toward her car. 

“Go home, Will. Stop thinking.” 

He rolled his eyes, turned his back on his friend, and walked to his car trying not to think. When he arrived he unlocked the door, dropped into the front seat, and pulled out his phone. 

_Having a good Monday?_ His finger hovered over the send button as he debated whether or not Beverly had been right. With a heavy sigh he pressed it and watched it load and then pop up on the screen as sent. He started his car when he felt his phone vibrate. Glancing down, he fumbled to open the text and smiled a bit at the reply. 

_Good is such a subjective term. The hospital I work at is still standing and a friend bought me lunch, so I cannot complain. Plans for Friday still on?_

Something about the text made Will smile all the more as he ducked his head a bit and re-read it. Finally, he typed back his response. 

_Absolutely. Have a good night, Frederick._

He tossed the phone onto the passenger seat along with his bag, put the car in drive, and began his journey home.


	5. BBQ Tofu Salad for the Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go on a date. Cuteness ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how about that season finale? Jesus Christ it destroyed my emotions. I think you all with both love and hate chapter six when it is posted. I kind of accidentally channeled all of my painful feels into it. Chapter six we'll see a rating increase as we have a flashback to a little bit of Hannibal/Frederick, and there is a bit of Will/Frederick physical development in the next chapter too. 
> 
> They won't actually do the do until chapter seven though. Sorry guys. I'm terrible and evil and got way too distracted writing my version of Hannibal because I'm so mad he was such a little shit in the finale (surprised? no. just mad). 
> 
> This chapter is their cute date though! Yay! Date! I dedicate this chapter to my good friend Laura because I converted her to ChillyWilly and we're both empty shells emotionally after last night's episode. She needs a reason to live.
> 
> ps. your feedback nourishes my hungry soul thank you for all the kind comments <3

“When was the last time I even went on a date?” Frederick asked himself as he stood in front of the full length mirror in his bedroom and stared at his outfit. Will had told him it was semi-casual so he’d gone with a pair of his nicest jeans and a dark crimson button-up shirt. On his left wrist was a nice but not over-the-top watch he’d purchased for himself when he was promoted to hospital administrator. It was his only accessory and he thought he wore it well as he fussed with the top buttons of his shirt. 

“Two buttons unbuttoned? One?” Again, he was talking to himself and knew he probably sounded crazy but it helped him process. He decided to go with only one top button left undone and stepped into the on-suite bathroom to fuss with his hair. In the end, he figured he looked as good as he ever would and made his way downstairs. 

In his pocket his phone vibrated and he pulled it out to check the text message. 

_Have a lovely time, Frederick. Try to relax._

It was a text from Hannibal and Frederick huffed when he read it, quickly texting back a ‘thanks’ while also insisting that he would do his best. Again he tried to think back to the last official date he’d been on and the only thing that came to mind had been when a colleague had asked him out for drinks under the guise of wanting to go over his latest publication. Apparently she’d actually been hoping to convince him to go on a real date with her and he’d had to insist against it. He hadn’t gone as far as to tell her she simply wasn’t his type, but had assured her none the less that he was in no place to be in a relationship. 

That was before the accident and Frederick hesitated in his living room and touched his stomach through his shirt. He knew stretching out across his abdomen was a long mess of scar tissue that had healed well, but still left a line of slightly raised skin. Just the thought of it brought a wave of anxiety and he had to sit down on the couch for a moment. He also dialed Hannibal’s number and held the phone to his ear, slouching forward so that his head hung down. 

“Frederick?” He heard concern in the other man’s tone and tried to ignore the spark of self-loathing it inspired within him. 

“I’m having a moment, Hannibal. Tell me a joke or something.” 

“I’m afraid I am all out of jokes. What is it that is bothering you?” Ever the therapist, Frederick swore Hannibal had a way of speaking that inspired an immediate need to spill his guts. 

“I’m nervous,” he laughed at how pathetic he sounded, “I’m nervous about going on a date. I feel like I’m in high school again or something. You would think from the way I’m feeling that I was expecting to marry the man or something.” 

“You’ve been away from relationships for a long while, it is natural to be nervous. There is no shame in letting Will see it, either. If nothing else I’m sure he’d find it endearing, as I do.” 

“You think my neurotic tendencies are endearing, Hannibal?” Frederick asked with a scoff, rubbing nervously at his knee with his free hand. 

“I do, actually. I find many of your little quirks endearing, Frederick. They are what make you, you. Now go and show Will who it is you are,” Hannibal replied and Frederick wanted to hate the man and his sage advice. Instead, he sighed in defeat. 

“Thank you from talking me away from the cliff’s ledge,” he mumbled and heard Hannibal chuckle on the other end of the line. They said their farewells and hung up and Frederick decided it was then or never. He stood, puffed himself up confidently, and headed out the door to his car, pausing only to lock up the house behind him. There was no way in hell he was going to allow his nerves to get in the way of a first date. 

*

Will tried to ignore the glances of passerbys as he stood outside of the restaurant and waited for Frederick to arrive. Being out in public, in the middle of Baltimore, reminded him why he had avoided living in the city for so long. There were too many people around. One woman walked by with a scowl, though her hands were trembling, and a million other things about her posture told Will that she’d just received terrible news. Without being able to stop himself he put herself in her place and felt what she felt in that moment, until she was out of view and he could return to his own headspace. 

He hated it; the way connections came without any way to stop them. While he’d spent a good portion of his life attempting to build forts in his mind, they were only good for so long until a structural weakness caused them to collapse. Of course he was better at keeping out of other people’s heads in a typical day, but his stress levels were elevated due to the date he was about to go on and stress certainly never helped him keep his empathetic tendencies at bay. He ignored the niggling thought of how angry the man who breezed past him was and did his best to tune out the young woman who passed in front of him barely containing her tears. 

While he had hated his move to the city, there were also things he liked about it. Being in close proximity to his students was something he had never had when he’d lived in Virginia. Also, while he disliked the images that sprung to his mind whenever people came into contact with him, he did like the fact that at least there were people around. After a certain case that had gone terribly wrong, back when he had been willing to consult for the FBI, the thought of being alone in a little country house agitated him. He’d fall asleep to visions of bloody corpses, a girl with her throat slashed open, and pulling the trigger of the gun he had since disowned. 

In the city, tucked away in his apartment with his two dogs, the sounds of cars on the street and neighbors up late kept those images away. 

He glanced up when something caught his eye and surprised himself when he smiled. Frederick had parked a little ways down the street and was approaching, looking every bit as nervous as Will felt. At least they would both be in good company. When Frederick finally stopped in front of him, Will couldn’t help but let his eyes roam. The man that stood before him was a far cry from the rumpled, hung over stranger who had broken into his house and slept on his couch. No, Frederick was dressed in terribly flattering jeans, a shirt color that brought out just how chilly and refreshing his green-blue eyes were, and he was wearing some sort of cologne that must be expensive and put Will’s ship-on-the-bottle scent to shame. 

“Frederick,” he felt he was at a loss for words but at least he could manage that. There was a strong desire curling within him to grab the man in front of him and kiss him silly, but realized that would probably be entirely out of the question on the first date, “you clean up very nicely.” 

Will himself was wearing a dark blue sweater over a collared shirt which was checkered in shades of burnt orange. Quietly he wished he had thought to dress a little more revealingly, especially considering the state of dress his date was in, but he simply filed it away in his mind as something to do on a date later on. He’d figure it out. 

“You too, Will.” Frederick smiled and then glanced past Will toward the restaurant, “shall we?”

With a nod, Will reached out without thinking and put his hand at the small of Frederick’s back in order to lead him to the door. The other man tensed momentarily at the touch, but soon eased into it as they walked into the restaurant, Will holding the door open to allow his date to go first. He’d made a reservation so they were seated rather promptly and they both asked for water before they perused the menu. 

“So,” Frederick began as his eyes roamed over his open menu, “anything you would suggest that someone restricted to a vegetarian diet might like?” 

The comment caught Will a bit off guard and he glanced up, studying Frederick. He hadn’t pegged the man as a vegetarian, but really he supposed he hadn’t pegged Frederick as anything really other than what he’d been told. However, the news still surprised him and he immediately began eliminating some of his favorite items from the top of his suggestion list. He would have to keep dietary restrictions in mind for the next date, if they managed to get through the first. 

“Well, they tend to have good salads. I can’t say I’ve tried their BBQ tofu salad before, but I imagine it would be just as good as their other stuff.” Will offered Frederick a sheepish smile and received a smile in return. At least he wasn’t a complete failure. 

“Perhaps that is what I will order, then.” 

When their waiter swung by again they put in their orders and were left with just each other. Will could see his date was nervous. Frederick was fiddling idly with his silverware, shifting it around until he appeared to be content with the placement. Then he sipped at his water and fussed with his napkin before he finally met Will’s gaze. 

“So I realized,” he began, “that I never asked you what you do for a living.” 

“I teach at the University of Baltimore,” Will answered as he took a sip of his own water, “criminology classes, mostly, but sometimes I teach a few psychology classes.” 

“Really?” 

The news lit up Frederick’s eyes and put him a little more at ease. It was as if the knowledge that they had something in common made him realize he wasn’t as much of the fish out of water as he’d assumed. Or so Will surmised from the way the other man was looking at him. Then something changed in his eyes, Frederick’s brows furrowing thoughtfully. 

“What is your last name?” He asked and Will felt a knot in his stomach. 

“Graham. My name is Will Graham.” 

He saw a flicker of recognition flash across Frederick’s face and braced himself for the other man’s realization. _Why yes, I am **that** Will Graham_ , Will thought bitterly to himself because he was certain news headlines were running through his date’s mind at the mention of his name. 

“You, ah,” Frederick frowned and Will thought it looked almost sympathetic, but it was missing the usual pity he received so he was grateful for that, “the Hobbs case, then, was it? It was all over the news. I remember hearing about it and, now that I think about it, about you.” 

The tension was momentarily diffused when their waiter returned with their food and set the plates down in front of them before leaving to take care of another table. Will stared at his hamburger which no longer looked appealing as his anxiety took hold of him and he wondered what exactly Frederick was thinking. 

“That must have been a difficult case, Will.” 

There was a strange note of kindness in the other man’s voice that got Will’s attention. He looked back up at Frederick who was watching him with a mix of concern and, strangely enough, affection. His date’s foot playfully bumped his underneath the table and the tension in his shoulders and stomach eased slightly. Will had expected a barrage of questions followed by an analysis of his mental state, or something to that effect, since it seemed to be what people did when they made the connection. 

“I stopped working for the FBI after that,” Will pointed out, “teaching usually ends up with fewer dead children, after all.” Abigail Hobbs’ blank face as she bled out before the emergency personnel could arrive still haunted him. His fingers tapped anxiously on the table until he felt a warm pressure cover them. He looked up again and found Frederick watching him, felt the other man’s fingertips stroke hesitantly across the back of his hand, and then glanced away almost shyly. 

“We don’t have to talk shop, Will. It is probably best we keep discussion of both our jobs to a minimum for tonight,” Frederick insisted softly and then pulled his hand away, leaving Will wishing he hadn’t. “What do you do when you’re not teaching?” 

Will gratefully grabbed on to the change of subject and the pair ate their food in relative peace after that. It seemed Frederick was doing his very best to lighten the mood as they went, making jokes, telling a story about the one time his father convinced him to go fishing and he’d fallen overboard into the lake, and by the end of the night they laughed together. 

At the end of dinner, after Will paid and Frederick protested, they stood out near Frederick’s car in the cool evening air. Will once again let his eyes roam over the other man as he listened to him finish telling a story. He admired the way the bridge of Frederick’s nose and his cheek bones were red from laughter, eyes glittering with joy in the light that trickled down from a distant street lamp. Frederick was a handsome man, he decided then and there, as his earlier evaluation after first meeting him hadn’t done him justice. Will realized too late that he’d been lost in thought because Frederick was staring at him, quiet, and it was his turn to blush. 

“Sorry, Frederick, I was distracted.”

“Do I have something in my teeth?” Frederick asked, but Will just laughed and shook his head. 

“No. Definitely not,” he paused and then reached out to grab the other man’s hand, tugging him into his space, “I was admiring you.” 

“Oh, ah, _oh_.” 

Apparently Frederick didn’t really have a response as he looked away shyly and Will was compelled to bring his free hand up to the other man’s jaw. He tilted Frederick’s head back to make eye contact again and then leaned in and closed the space between them. Their lips touched and Will was ready to pull back and admit that perhaps he’d moved too soon, when Frederick leaned into it and squeezed his hand. Will stroked his thumb over Frederick’s warm cheek as they shared a kiss, and then he pulled back enough to look at the other man. 

“Okay?” Will asked softly as his fingertips traced down Frederick’s neck until his hand rested on the other man’s shoulder. Frederick, who had closed his eyes for the kiss, finally opened them and smiled. 

“Very okay,” he laughed as he said it, leaned up to steal another kiss, and then stepped back out of Will’s space even though they were still holding hands. 

“So you’ll go out on another date with me, then?” Will inquired hopefully as he decided right then and there that he definitely wanted a second date. 

“Yes. How about tomorrow?” Frederick grinned and Will’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. 

“Sure, what the hell. I have some grading I have to get done, but we could do something in the afternoon?” It would be a Saturday, and Will mostly spent his Saturdays inside anyway. Getting out of the apartment would be a treat. 

“Let’s walk your dogs somewhere. Go to a park. Enjoy the day, since it should be sunny. I’ll call you tomorrow late morning and we’ll figure it out.” Frederick was definitely blushing at that point and Will found it endearing. At least he knew he wasn’t the only one who felt like he had no clue what he was doing. 

“Sounds good,” and on a whim, Will used their connected hands to pull Frederick back to him gently as he leaned in and kissed him again. He hadn’t kissed anyone in a long time and it felt nice, especially when Frederick responded with a little surprised gasp before pressing his body again Will’s. They stayed like that for a long moment before finally stepping away from each other, and Will released Frederick’s hand. 

“Goodnight, Will.” Frederick moved around his car and unlocked the driver’s side door, sliding in. He waved before he backed out of the space and drove away. Will simply watched him disappear before he made the walk back to his car and dropped into the front seat. For the first time that evening he checked his phone and found a text from Beverly. 

_Don’t forget to use protection_. He snorted as he read it, rolled his eyes, and typed out a quick response. 

_Beverly Katz, it was the first date. We parted ways at the restaurant._

His phone buzzed almost immediately after he sent the text, _Damn. You should have gotten on it, Will_. Then another text came shortly afterward, _How did it go?_

_Really well. I’ll call you tomorrow with the details_ Will answered. 

_You’ll call me when you get home tonight with the details, alright?_

With a laugh, Will texted her back and agreed to her terms before he set his phone aside and buckled up. She was going to have a fit when he told her he had a second date the next day. 

*

“I asked him on a second date,” Frederick said into the phone as Hannibal ‘hmm’ed’ softly on the other end of the line. He knew he’d caught the other man preparing for bed but he didn’t care. Frederick was on cloud nine. His stomach was fluttering, his cheeks were still red, and he couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off of his face. 

“So I am assuming that the evening went well for you?” Hannibal replied calmly and Frederick dropped down onto his bed and tried to let some of the other man’s calmness seep into him over the phone. 

“Yes. Very well. I’m sorry I called, Hannibal, I just feel as if I’m acting very rashly. I can’t seem to help myself, however.” Frederick sighed loudly and laid back on his bed, his free hand resting on his stomach. 

“Sometimes acting rash is not necessarily a negative thing. Perhaps after your second date tomorrow you might like to drop by? I’m free in the evening and would be glad to hear about how it all went.” 

“Alright, yes. Thank you, Hannibal. I’ll probably end up meeting him at his apartment anyway so that works out,” he paused, allowed silence to stretch between them for a moment before, “goodnight, Hannibal.” 

“Goodnight, Frederick. Sleep well.” Hannibal hung up and so did Frederick, who smiled up at the ceiling. 

“You can do this,” he whispered to himself and tried to will himself to believe it.


	6. Memories of days gone by

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A second date, then a walk down memory lane with Hannibal, ending in a make out session.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RATING INCREASE. 
> 
> This chapter is all about Hannibal/Frederick because I like that relationship when I know Hannibal isn't a murdering cannibal who framed my poor baby for murder. Also, some Will/Frederick but you will get more of that in chapter seven. Writing porn at work is weird.
> 
> Also, I took a different approach to the Gideon incident. Since Frederick isn't quite the vindictive dick in my AU that he is in the show so while he might have capitalized on the chance to analyze a famous killer he didn't do any psychic driving. He was just an opportunist, not really unethical.

They had settled on a late afternoon walk at a nearby park. Frederick had driven out to Will’s apartment complex and they walked together through the neighborhood, Will with Winston’s lead in hand and Frederick with Buster’s. 

“Have you always had dogs, Will?” Frederick asked as they neared the park. He watched as Buster paused to sniff at a bush before happily trotting ahead. 

“I didn’t have them growing up, we moved around too much. Since I’ve been settled, though, I’ve had them. I used to live out in the middle of nowhere in Virginia and had a lot of dogs. I’d take in strays. When I moved back into the city, though, I found homes for most of them since most apartments won’t allow more than two.” Will smiled a little, almost to himself, but Frederick noticed and felt his cheeks warm slightly. He liked Will’s smile. 

“What inspired you to move back into the city?” 

“More people, less of a commute, better distractions,” Will shrugged and glanced down at Winston before his eyes scanned the park. Frederick followed suit and found the small neighborhood park to be empty. He followed Will as he set them on the cement path that looped around the perimeter. 

“I can understand that, I suppose.” Though not really, considering Frederick was terrible with finding distractions. He found the city to be too noisy sometimes, too full of people who seemed disinterested in what was around them. Of course he was no beam of positivity, but something about the city felt suffocating sometimes, and lonely. It would almost be easier to be lonely out in the middle of nowhere than to be in the midst of so many people and still feel alone. 

He felt Will’s hand brush his and then take hold of it, their fingers lacing together, and it brought him out of his thoughts. Frederick glanced shyly at their joined hands then up at Will who was watching him out of the corner of his eyes. 

“Do you often get lost in thought like that?” Will asked kindly as his thumb stroked affectionately along the back of Frederick’s hand. 

“Sometimes,” he laughed nervously and looked at the ground, “a bad habit I suppose. I catch onto a thought and it leads me down a trail and the next thing I know I’ve been gone for fifteen minutes.” 

After that they walked quietly, hand in hand, until the dogs were no longer eagerly trotting ahead. Winston and Buster had slowed and were at the two men’s heels, their energy expended after sniffing everything there was to sniff in the area. With the dogs tired out, Will and Frederick returned to the apartment and paused outside of the door. 

“Do you want to come in, Frederick?” Will asked as he opened the door and allowed the dogs to toddle inside while he stepped into the smaller man’s space. 

“I, ah, would normally but I’m afraid I’ve got to get somewhere.” It was in part a cop out because he was certain Hannibal wouldn’t fault him for not showing up because he’d decided to spend more time with Will. However, after a second date, Frederick felt the anxiety of a possible relationship settling in and wasn’t quite ready to trust himself in the other man’s apartment. 

“Ah,” Will almost sounded disappointed, but it quickly wore off as he smiled, “alright. I’ll call you?” 

“Yes. Or I will call you. We’ll see who gets to it first,” Frederick laughed and then blushed because Will’s hand moved to rest on his cheek and he leaned into it instinctively. 

“Have a good evening, Frederick,” he murmured before leaning in to steal a kiss and Frederick decided he could get used to it. As they kissed, he pressed into it more, opening his mouth a little and groaning when Will took advantage of it. The next thing he knew he was turned and pressed gently against the wall as they indulged in an open mouthed kiss. His hands moved to the lapels of Will’s jacket and his fingers curled there as he held the other man close. When Will’s hips brushed against his he made a surprised noise and stayed with a kiss a moment longer before he pulled back and glanced away shyly. 

Will’s lips pressed to his cheekbone, then down to his jaw, and Frederick allowed his own hands to slide down the front of the other man. 

“Call me tonight, Frederick,” Will whispered into his ear and Frederick nodded in reply, stunned into silence as he tried to ignore the heat pooling in his stomach. 

“Okay,” he breathed and turned his head to steal a chaste kiss before Will stepped away, smiled, and disappeared into his apartment. 

Frederick stood against the wall for a moment and attempted to catch his breath. He rubbed a hand over his face and felt the heat radiating off of his cheeks. God, when had been the last time someone had kissed him like that? Against the wall and everything. He shivered at the memory and when he felt he had composed himself he made his way down the hall to Hannibal’s apartment. Standing outside the door he smoothed his hair down, even though it hadn’t been touched, and then ran his hands down the front of his coat and pants. He wasn’t sure how to make himself look less like a man who had just been kissed silly, but he hoped Hannibal wouldn’t notice. 

He raised a hand and knocked, and a moment later Hannibal answered. 

“Ah, Frederick, perfect timing. I was just putting dinner into the oven.” He stepped back and motioned Frederick inside before he closed the door behind him. 

The apartment smelled marvelous. Whatever Hannibal was making was bound to be delicious and Frederick’s stomach rumbled in anticipation. 

“Let me take your coat,” the next thing Frederick knew Hannibal was behind him, hands on his shoulders, helping him shrug out of his coat. Frederick swallowed and made his way into the kitchen with a quiet ‘thank you’, going straight for the already open bottle of wine. He grabbed a glass and poured some for himself, glancing up only when Hannibal entered the kitchen. 

“I’m roasting vegetables and baking meatless lasagna. I thought it would be a good and hearty meal, since I know for a fact you don’t eat enough.” Hannibal regarded him with a critical eye and Frederick just shrugged helplessly. 

“My job is not always conducive to eating well. Especially eating to your standards, Hannibal, which are very much above average.” Frederick smiled and took a whiff of the wine before sipping at it. It was a solid red, a bit fruity but mostly dry, and it went down smoothly. 

“That is a shame because my standards shouldn’t be that far out of the ordinary.” He grabbed both the vegetables and lasagna and slid them onto their respective racks in the oven. “It will take about an hour for everything to cook, so we have some time to talk before we eat. How was your second date?” 

The first thing that sprang to mind was the kiss he and Will had shared, but he decided not to share that right away. 

“It was nice. We just took his dogs out for a walk at the park around the corner. We talked, then walked back. It wasn’t anything grand.” 

“And how are you feeling about the situation?” Hannibal inquired vaguely and Frederick knew the technique far too well to fall for it immediately. Ask vague questions, get specific answers, it was an old therapy trick and he huffed at it. 

“I’m not sure,” he surprised himself with his sudden honesty and glanced down at the counter, “it has been so long since I’ve dated. I’m a grown man, well past my dating prime, and I’m not quite certain what Will sees in me.” 

“Obviously he sees something otherwise he would not pursue you like he has,” Hannibal pointed out and walked over to the wine, pouring himself a glass. He then motioned to the living room and began to head into it, Frederick following obediently with his wine in hand. 

“I understand that, but,” he trailed off as he took a seat on the couch, Hannibal sitting in a plush chair across from him. 

“What is it about intimacy that frightens you so much, Frederick?” 

Frederick scowled at his friend and set his wine on the side table. He sat back on the couch, crossed one leg over the other, and then crossed his arms over his chest. Hannibal’s eyebrows rose and Frederick knew exactly what his body language was saying about him. Let Hannibal pick up on his non-verbals for all he cared. 

“I’m still not myself. I’m not who it was before it happened, Hannibal. Maybe who I was before could handle a relationship, and intimacy, and consider being an active part in the relationship but as it is I feel,” he hesitated, tried to pick the right word, “crippled. Crippled by nightmares, by anxiety, by my own colleagues and their criticism.” 

“Have you ever considered that you’re not supposed to be who you were before the attack?” 

They both allowed the question to hang in the air as Frederick stared at the wall just over Hannibal’s shoulder and tried to push away the newest wave of anxiety. 

“Tell me about the attack, Frederick.”

“You already know about it, _Hannibal_ ,” Frederick’s scowl deepened. 

“Yet I’ve not heard your feelings about it. You kept those carefully concealed from me even when we were together. I allowed it to slide because you are my friend and you were traumatized, but there is no reason not to share. You trusted me then, Frederick. Trust me now.” 

Frederick remembered strong hands on his trembling body as he was jerked awake in the midst of a nightmare. 

_“Frederick, wake up. It is a dream.” Hannibal’s voice was firm, a hand squeezing Frederick’s bicep gently._

_“Hannibal,” Frederick mumbled, confused and broken even as his friend pulled him up and into an embrace._

_“You need to talk to someone about these things, my friend. You can’t sleep on my couch for the rest of your life,” Hannibal whispered into his hair as Frederick pressed into the embrace and tucked his head under the other man’s chin. In his arms he fell back asleep, Hannibal singing softly in a language he couldn’t understand._

“Have you ever felt completely vulnerable, Hannibal? I have.” Frederick could feel the darkness closing in around him, his heart rate picking up as his friend’s words guided him back to the night it had happened. “You know I was called in for an emergency that evening, dealing with a burst water pipe and watching repairmen go in and out. Somehow, some way, one of those men slipped up and got too close and Abel Gideon incapacitated him, escaped, and came after me.

“He found me in my office dealing with paperwork. I didn’t even have time to react. He grabbed me, laughed, slapped a hand over my face and dragged me into the currently unoccupied infirmary. After all, the nurses were dealing with moving patients around to a different part of the building. He strapped me down to a chair, Hannibal.” 

_One night, during a particularly bad panic attack, Frederick felt himself being led to Hannibal’s bedroom. He breathed raggedly, fingers curled around his friend’s forearm as he grasped at any connection to reality._

_“Hush Frederick, you are safe,” Hannibal had tried to soothe him, gently pried his hand off of his arm and then guided him onto the bed. As Frederick maneuvered onto his side and tried to regulate his breathing, Hannibal slid into the bed behind him and pressed up against his back._

_“Feel me breathe, Frederick. In and out,” his hand moved to rest over Frederick’s stomach and he flinched because even though the stitches had been removed it still felt strange to be touched, “in,” Hannibal whispered against his cheek as he nuzzled it, “out, that’s it. Match your breathing to mine and try to relax your muscles one grouping at a time.”_

_Under Hannibal’s gentle commands he relaxed back into the embrace and drifted back to sleep._

“After the fact they said I deserved the attack. I wasn’t treating Abel Gideon appropriately, in their opinion. He said something along those lines, too. Said I would never understand who he truly was, what he really was, as he anesthetized my abdomen and sliced me open. Do you know what it feels like to have a patient tell you that you don’t understand them and your punishment for failing to see them in all their glory is to have your organs cut out of you? Then to have people who are supposed to be professionals whisper about how I probably deserved it? The man ripped out my kidney before he was shot dead and apparently I deserved it.” 

Hannibal wore a solemn look when Frederick finally looked at him. He could feel tears in his own eyes he stubbornly pushed back as he stared hard at his friend. Why had Hannibal felt the need to poke him right then and there? Why, after a lovely walk with Will and feeling like a giddy high schooler asked to prom by a beautiful girl, did the dam have to break? He’d been doing such a good job at maintaining, surviving, pushing forward while ignoring everything that sat just beneath his skin and tortured him at night. 

_At one point, during his leave of absence, Frederick was practically living in Hannibal’s apartment. He’d wake up there, fall asleep there, and he clung to his friend. In the midst of his own hazy trauma, Hannibal was his anchor. Alana helped, too, but it wasn’t the same. She didn’t understand him in the way Hannibal did and it made it difficult to relate to her other than through her sad looks and gentle words._

_He lay in bed beside Hannibal as the other man whispered soothingly into his ear, chasing away the nightmares. Frederick squirmed back against him then rolled in the embrace so that they were facing one another._

_“Frederick,” there was a note of concern in Hannibal’s tone, his maroon eyes shining the darkness as Frederick leaned in and kissed him._

_At first Hannibal didn’t respond, he just let it happen, until Frederick reached up to run his fingers through the other man’s hair. Then Hannibal rolled on top of the smaller man, draped his body over him, kissed him in return._

_“Are you,” he kissed Frederick in-between words, “sure you want,” another kiss, “to go to this step knowing we’re not good for each other?”_

_“Yes.” Even if it didn’t mean love, even if it was nothing except two men trying to work through their own traumas (Hannibal’s were buried deep but Frederick knew they were still there and something about his own trauma had struck a chord with the older doctor), Frederick wanted it. He needed the connection, the knowledge that he wasn’t some un-loveable, un-functioning broken thing._

_Hannibal rolled their hips together and kissed him again, all tongue and teeth as they groaned into each other’s mouths. Frederick’s fingers curled in the other man’s sandy hair in order to hold him still as they kiss. He felt like he was feeding off of Hannibal’s energy, enraptured by the confidence with which his friend proceeded. Soon enough Hannibal broke for air and left a trail of open mouthed kisses all along Frederick’s jaw and neck, leaving him squirming into the sheets._

_Holding his weight on one arm, Hannibal shifted so that he could push up Frederick’s shirt and rested his hand warmly over the fresh scar on his belly._

_“Hannibal,” Frederick choked out, at first trying to arch away from the touch that threatened to drag him into a flashback._

_“Don’t let it have power over you,” Hannibal murmured into his ear as he nipped and sucked at Frederick’s earlobe, easily distracting him from the touch for a moment. “It is just a scar. Don’t romanticize it.” His talented fingers traced the length of raised skin and Frederick squirmed beneath him, turned his head away, whimpered, and then gasped when he felt the other man suck a mark into his neck._

_“Jesus Christ,” Frederick closed his eyes and whimpered again when his friend’s hand slipped into his boxers to stroke him._

_It was a slow burn, all warm kisses and firm touches, as Hannibal’s mouth and hands turned Frederick into a squirming puddle of trembling skin. Every muscle in his body would tense and relax as Hannibal touched him, opened him up, and eventually turned him over and pressed into him. He arched his back into the penetration, groaning, his fingers curled in the sheets as Hannibal draped himself over his back and thrust into him._

_“Hannibal,” Frederick cried, shuddering as a firm hand rested once again on his stomach as the other man thrust into him almost lazily. Their coupling was everything he needed it to be as all of his fears and anxieties were chased away. Hannibal’s mouth pressed kisses to his shoulders, his spine, the back of his neck, and then as they tipped toward orgasm he began whispering wonderful praises into Frederick’s ear._

_“You are strong, Frederick, and beautiful, and wonderfully tight,” Hannibal groaned into his ear as he angled his hips and drew another strangled cry out of Frederick, “you will overcome, you are beautiful…”_

_Soon he just repeated his words as he thrust faster, Frederick pushing back into the thrusts. He whimpered, begged Hannibal for more, praised him and thanked him, and they tumbled head first into a white abyss of pleasure. Frederick’s entire body tensed as he gripped the sheets and shuddered as Hannibal’s hand worked over his cock. He felt Hannibal lose it a mere moment later, the other man continuing to slowly thrust into him while moaning as they both came down from their high._

_They fell asleep in a tangled heap of limbs, exhausted but comforted._

“I didn’t deserve it,” Frederick hissed as he stared down at his clenched fists and trembling arms as tears burned behind his eyes, “and I don’t feel like I can be me with anyone, let alone someone like Will, because who I am under the confident mask is someone who is simply petrified.” 

“Is there something wrong with being scared?” Hannibal asked as if it were the simplest question in the world and not the hardest thing for him to answer. 

“I’m weak,” Frederick whispered, feeling empty as the tears finally fell and slid down his cheeks in hot streaks as he trembled, “and if I cannot figure out how to put myself together, how on earth can I be in a relationship?”

“Perhaps that is all the more reason to be in a relationship, and not just a romantic one. If you open up and allow people to love you, healing comes, Frederick. I can promise you that. I have seen it, experienced it, and know that we cannot overcome the events that haunt us until we let someone else in to shed a bit of light.” 

When Frederick finally looked up through teary eyes he was startled by the open expression on Hannibal’s face. There was sadness there, but also compassion, because however much Frederick wanted to fix himself his friends apparently wanted to help fix him all the more. Why did he allow himself to be so blind for so long? All of the lunches with Alana, the dinners with Hannibal, the attempts of co-workers to reach out, there were people around him who wanted to reach behind his walls, into the darkness, and pull him out. 

“Hannibal, god, I’ve been so stupid.” He shoved his fists against his face, slouched over, and sobbed. With every heave of shoulders and strangled noise that came with the tears, he felt a bit of his anxiety disappear. Every sob, every hiccup brought a refreshing sense of catharsis that washed over him like a cold Baltimore rain. 

“I will allow the self-criticism to last another couple of minutes before I will forcefully draw you out of it, if you don’t do it yourself.” 

Frederick laughed in response, sniffled and wiped at his face. Hannibal slid a napkin across the coffee table between them and he used it to wipe his face and blow his nose. 

“I’m a mess,” Frederick laughed again before blowing his nose once more. 

“We all are sometimes,” Hannibal answered softly and watched as Frederick tried to put himself together again. “We will eat dinner, which should be ready momentarily, and then we can talk more if you’d like.” He stood and started making his way to the kitchen but paused when Frederick called out his name. 

“Hannibal, thank you,” he offered a tiny, tired smile and Hannibal returned it. 

“Think nothing of it.”

*

There was a knock at the door and Will considered not answering it, since he had two dogs occupying space on his lap and he was comfortable. With a huff, though, he pushed them gently away and got up. He padded over to the door, yawned, and opened it. Frederick was standing there, looking a little sad around the eyes, but maybe the other man was just tired. Nonetheless, Will was surprised to see him back after they had parted ways and smiled a bit. 

“Frederick, I wasn’t expecting you,” he paused and studied the other man, trying to keep from automatically assuming his point of view; the other man deserved to express whatever he needed to express on his own terms, “come in?” 

Frederick nodded and stepped inside the door when Will motioned him in. He exhaled slowly and Will wondered if he had done something wrong and he wasn’t going to get a third date. The attempt to ignore the disappointment he was already feeling at the prospect was a failure. He closed the door gently and watched because he was quite certain Frederick would say whatever it was that was on his mind when he was ready. 

“I’m a mess of a man, Will,” Frederick admitted as he turned to face him and Will tilted his head slightly, “and there are a lot of things I will eventually talk to you about, things I don’t really talk to anyone about because they might scare people off, but, if I keep letting fear dictate my life then I’m not going to get anything I want.” 

“And what is it you want, Frederick?” Will asked cautiously. 

“I want you, Will. I don’t know why, I can’t explain what it is about you that draws me in like a moth to a flame, but I want you because you make me feel interesting, whole, sane, and you let me just be me even when I show up after breaking into your house and offer you a cactus. You accepted it, asked me out on a date in spite of it, and I don’t know why but you like me and it is nice to be liked and feel comfortable liking someone in return.” Frederick took a breath, stared down at the ground, and fidgeted awkwardly. 

“You know I’m not asking you to marry me, right?” Will laughed but almost immediately cut it off when he saw Frederick flinch, “Frederick, what I mean by that is, I want you too. I want to see where this goes. I’m drawn to you like you’re drawn to me and while I can’t explain it, I think you’re handsome and you’re funny and yeah you’re a bit quirky but so am I and it kind of works for me.” 

Frederick glanced up and Will closed the distance between them, not touching Frederick, but standing close to him. 

“And whatever it is that is running through your head, or is in the past, we can deal with it when you’re ready to. There isn’t any pressure other than the pressure you seem to be putting on yourself,” he finally reached out and rested his hand on Frederick’s cheek, “let it develop as it will and I will do my best to keep you from stressing out about it. Okay?” 

“Okay.” 

“If you want to talk about stuff, though, my ears are always open.” Will leaned in and kissed him with a soft press of lips and enjoyed the way Frederick responded. As he felt the other man’s mouth open, he took advantage and slipped his tongue into it. Slowly he side stepped, breaking the kiss only a couple times as he led Frederick over to the couch. Will dropped down onto it, pulled Frederick into his lap, and pressed their lips together again. His arms went around Frederick’s waist as he pulled him down so that their hips were nestled together. Frederick rested his hands on Will’s shoulders, groaning into the kiss as he ground down. They both worked to get Frederick out of his coat and then returned to making out, Will’s fingers sliding under the back of Frederick’s shirt to stroke warmly against his skin. 

“I want you too, Frederick, did I mention that?” Will panted as he broke another kiss and pressed their foreheads together. 

“Yes, you may have, between some other words you said that I can’t recall at the moment,” Frederick answered breathlessly as he brushed their noses together before going in for another kiss. 

The pair stayed like that for a while, hips pressing together lazily, tongues battling for dominance as Frederick remained positioned in Will’s lap. Eventually he was pushed back onto the couch, Will settling over him as they resumed kissing. It was nice to have someone to do this with, because it had been a long time since Will had been in a relationship. He had his own trials, his own ghosts, and it seemed to him that he was in good company. 

They lay together for a while, shifting so that Will was half on top of Frederick while half pressed into the cushions on the back of the couch. Frederick was still lying on his back, his hand resting on Will’s arm which was draped across his chest. 

“Stay here tonight,” Will mumbled as he brushed his lips to Frederick’s pulse point, “stay with me. Like this.” 

“Alright,” Frederick replied, his fingertips stroking against Will’s arm as he closed his eyes and seemed to relax. Will watched him for a long while until he realized the other man’s hand had stopped moving; he’d fallen asleep. With a smile, Will nuzzled his cheek against Frederick’s shoulder and closed his own eyes. 

There was nothing wrong with a bit of a nap in his opinion. They had all night to eventually move to the bed.


	7. Even when we're apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frederick and Will have an awkward morning that ends in a fantastic evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have the next chapter written, but I'm posting this one anyway because I know what the next chapter is going to be I just need to sit down and find time to write it (which will hopefully happen Monday since I'm working a ton this weekend and tomorrow, June 1st, just happens to be my birthday lol). I struggled with the next chapter because I wanted to try and force more out of the story line, but I think it is finally drawing to a lovely conclusion. I'll probably write more within the universe (contemplating a fic where Will does finally agree to work with Jack and we see how it impacts their relationship) but for now, we're in the final little bit. 
> 
> So there will be chapter eight and then an epilogue which should hopefully be posted by the start of the week. For now, enjoy chapter seven. Thanks so much for sticking with me thus far, everyone. This is my first time writing a relatively 'pure' alternate universe and I love it more than I was expecting <3
> 
> Also, Ciorane on Tumblr drew the cutest Chilton fanart for this story! 1000 points to her! [Check it out here](http://ciorane.tumblr.com/post/87188121037/a-little-ficart-i-drew-for-vagabonds-cute).

Frederick was reluctant to open his eyes to the light the following morning as sunbeams trickled through the window and hit his face. He was warm, buried beneath blankets in a room where the air around him was chilled. With a soft huff of an exhale, he opened his eyes and glanced at the sleeping man beside him. Will’s face was lax in sleep, his chest rising and falling beneath the blankets in a way that was entirely comforting. They were both still dressed in day clothes, Frederick wearing his jeans and t-shirt. He didn’t remember when exactly they’d stumbled into the bed and fallen back asleep, but he was grateful for it as he nuzzled his face into the curve of Will’s neck. 

For a few moments he rested, almost tempted to drift back to sleep in his warm little nest, but the noise of softly whining dogs behind him caught his attention before he could. He pressed a kiss to Will’s throat before he rolled over and stared at the two dogs who sat beside the bed, staring right back. Winston whined, his tail wagging a bit as one of his paws came up to rest on the bed. 

“I suppose you both need to go to the bathroom?” Frederick whispered and at the word ‘bathroom,’ the small dog’s stump of a tail went crazy. He sighed, smiled, and rolled out of bed into the cold air and hissed. It took a bit of stumbling around the room to find where his shoes had gotten off to and he stuffed his bare feet into them and tracked down the dog’s leashes. Once they were leashed up and he had a moment to run his fingers through his hair and attempt to look awake, he took the dogs out to a grassy area in front of the complex to do their business. 

He stood at the edge of the grass while the dogs sniffed around, and yawned. It was Sunday, which was nice because it meant he could stay and at least have breakfast with Will. Maybe he’d even cook, if the other man didn’t mind. Eggs, toast, maybe pancakes if the ingredients were available. It would be a simple breakfast but his stomach was already rumbling in anticipation. Frederick smiled when the dogs returned to him and made his way back into the complex with them at his heels. 

Upon opening the door he inhaled the hearty scent of coffee and heard Will in the kitchen. He stepped inside, let the dogs off of their leashes, and closed the door. Winston and Buster immediately jogged over into the kitchen and practically attacked their bowls which had been filled with food at some point. Frederick followed a bit more slowly and stopped in the doorway to admire the image of Will fussing with coffee mugs in a t-shirt and a pair of baggy pajama pants he’d apparently changed into it. He blushed when the other man looked up at him. 

“Good morning,” Will greeted, “do you take cream in your coffee, or…?” 

“Just a little bit of sugar, actually,” Frederick replied and then hesitated because he realized he wasn’t sure what the protocol was for this sort of thing. Should he kiss Will good morning? Was it acceptable to walk up and wrap his arms around him? They’d been on two dates, but he’d already spent the night and they had made out on the couch, so did that bump them up a few dates? 

“You’re thinking too much,” Will pointed out off handedly as he approached and took care of Frederick’s conundrum for him by leaning in and kissing him softly. 

Frederick, ever a sucker for physical affection, put his arms around Will’s neck and leaned into it. He felt the other man smile into the kiss and was soon maneuvered so that his lower back was resting against the edge of the counter as Will deepened the kiss. A tiny moan escaped him as he pressed his hips forward and felt Will return the motion. There was a tell tale bulge he felt against his thigh that sent a spark of warmth straight down to his own groin. 

In the other room a phone started ringing and Will groaned with disappointment against Frederick’s mouth before he pulled away. He stared out at the living room for a long moment as the phone kept ringing, looked back to Frederick and pecked him on the lips, before he finally padded into the other room to answer the phone. Frederick remained where he was, leaning against the counter as he tried to catch his breath. As Will talked with whomever it was that had ruined the moment, Frederick set about the kitchen to locate various ingredients he’d need for breakfast. The other man’s fridge was a disaster, but there were eggs, an onion, some cheese, and he managed to find salt and pepper on the kitchen table next to the cactus. He picked up the loaf of bread and noticed with disappointment that it was a bit moldy. 

“I’ve told you before, Jack,” Frederick heard Will say from the other room and there was tension in his voice, “I’m not interested. I worked one case for you and you saw how well that went. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that I can’t work cases for you.” 

Frederick trashed the bread and decided he’d just make eggs. As he tracked down a pan he did his best not to eavesdrop on the conversation in the living room, but he couldn’t help it. 

“I get it, I’ve got unique abilities, but your people can solve cases just as well as I can. The FBI has managed to close cases so far in its history without my help, I am pretty sure it will continue to do so.” Will paced in front of the entrance to the kitchen before disappearing and Frederick kept glancing in his direction as the pan heated up and he prepared the eggs. 

“You can keep calling, but I’d appreciate it if you’d leave Beverly out of it. This isn’t between her and me, it is between you and me. You know what that case did to me and even though you keep promising you only want me to look at a file, you and I both know it won’t end there. Look,” Will stood by the kitchen now and shot Frederick an apologetic look, “I’ve got company and can’t really talk right now, okay? Goodbye.” 

He added the eggs to the hot pan and watched them bubble for a bit before he finally glanced back at Will. 

“Sorry, Frederick,” Will murmured and Frederick sensed a change in the other man’s demeanor. His shoulders were slumped, voice lower than it had been, and his eyes were averted. He was a different man, triggered by whoever had called. 

“Don’t apologize,” Frederick insisted as he moved the cooking eggs around with a spatula, “do you want to talk about it?” 

“Not really.” 

“That’s okay, then.” 

Silence stretched between them and Frederick just preoccupied himself with the eggs. Once they were done cooking he shut off the stove and located two plates, dishing a hearty portion of the egg mix onto both. 

“I wanted to make toast but your bread was moldy so I threw it out,” he finally said, breaking the silence as he walked over to the table where Will had taken a seat and set the plates down. “I hope this is alright.”  


“It is fine.” Will replied as he dug in without another word and Frederick realized just like that, there was a wall up between them again. He wanted to touch Will, drag him back to the couch so they could relive the previous night, or at least pull him into a kiss to pick up where they had left off. Instead, he just grabbed a fork for himself and sat down to eat in silence.

At one point, after he was finished eating, Will disappeared and the dogs followed after him. Frederick felt out of place, his stomach in a knot as he cleaned up the dishes and gathered his things. He managed to locate his socks and pulled them on before putting his shoes back on. With a glance back toward the bedroom, he grabbed his coat and slung it on before he walked down the hallway and found Will sitting on the bed, the dogs on either side of him, flipping through some sort of magazine. 

“Well, I guess I’m going to go.” Frederick said and flinched when Will looked at him and nodded. 

“Have a good day.” Will returned to flipping through the magazine without another word and Frederick left the house feeling like he had somehow screwed up. 

*

The phone rang and Will looked down at the caller ID, ready to see Jack Crawford’s name light up the screen. Instead, he found it was Beverly calling and he picked it up. 

“Hello?” 

“So I heard Jack called you.” 

“Unfortunately. He also interrupted something and I think I was an asshole to Frederick.” Really, he knew he’d been an asshole but there was something about the FBI that made him shut down. Jack had used all the typical guilting techniques to try and sway Will to his point of view and all they did was make him feel miserable for failing a case in the first place. 

“Frederick was over? Did he stay the night?” Beverly sounded excited and Will frowned. 

“He did, but no we didn’t do anything. He was having a rough night and…shit, Bev, I shut down on him this morning. He made me breakfast and everything and all I could do was sit in my room with the dogs and pretend to read until he went away.” 

“Wow, and the asshole of the day award goes to…” Beverly trailed off and Will knew he deserved it. “But really, Will, Jack gets to you. The old case gets to you, too, and Frederick has no way of knowing that. You’ll get past it. You might have to call him up and apologize but the world isn’t going to end because you were an asshole once.” 

“Why do you have to make so much sense, Bev?” Will asked as he flopped back into the pillows, Winston stretching out along his side with a yawn. 

“Because I’m a genius, and Saul has taught me a thing or two about being in a functional and healthy relationship,” she said with a laugh. 

“It is getting harder to say no to Jack.” Will finally admitted as he buried his free hand in the thick fur around Winston’s neck. 

“I don’t know what to tell you. Crawford usually gets what he wants out of people regardless of the consequences of a fallout. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Will, but it is always something to consider. You see things other people don’t.” 

“Bev,” Will frowned. 

“Okay, sorry. I’m just saying you’re a unique person so it isn’t surprising that Jack wants you around to help him on cases. Keep saying no, Will, because if one messed up case still has you shutting down almost a year later then it obviously isn’t the right line of work.” 

“Thanks Bev. We should go out for drinks sometime this week.” 

“Sounds good, Will. Let me know when you’ve got a night free. Maybe you can invite your new boyfriend along. Hell, maybe we can do a double date and I’ll force Saul to be social.” He could hear the smile in her voice and it raised his own spirits. 

“Alright, we’ll figure something out. I’ll talk to you later.” They said their goodbyes and Will hung up. 

He realized after the fact that Beverly had called Frederick his boyfriend and he hadn’t protested. 

*

By the evening, Frederick had spent the majority of his Sunday cleaning his house. It was already relatively clean since he so rarely spent time anywhere except the kitchen, his bedroom, and sometimes the living room. Yet after the weird moment with Will earlier in the day it was the only thing he could do to take his mind off of it and convince himself it wasn’t anything he had done. Whatever had been said over the phone had triggered something, and even though Frederick could empathize and yearned to understand, he also knew sometimes it was best to be left alone to deal with things. 

He also struggled to get the early morning kiss out of his mind. As he lay sprawled out on his bed, it became the only thing he could think about. Will’s lips on his, hands guiding him against the counter, their hips pressed together. He’d felt the outline of a bulge against his thigh and wondered what would have happened if the phone call hadn’t gotten in the way. Frederick swallowed hard and reached down to rub himself through his trousers a bit, groaning as he pretended it was Will’s hand. The other man would tease him slowly, he was sure. Will would make sure he fully felt every touch, ever kiss, every movement of their bodies together. 

As Frederick undid his fly and shimmied his trousers down his hips, his cell phone on the night stand began to ring. He groaned and palmed himself through his boxers once before he answered the phone. 

“Hello?” He realized too late that he was a bit breathless and hoped that whoever was on the other end of the line didn’t notice. 

“Frederick, hi. You sound out of breath, did I catch you in the middle of something?” It was Will and Frederick had to bite his lower lip to keep himself from making a strangled noise of surprise. 

“No, no, nothing that is, ah, important. At all,” he stared down at the bulge in his boxers and held back a groan. Being like this with Will’s voice in his ear was not helping at all. 

“I wanted to apologize for earlier. I kind of…well, I shut you out after getting a call from the guy I worked for at the FBI. He is always trying to get me to consider helping him with cases again and it gets to me after a while. I was an ass this morning, though, and you didn’t deserve that.” 

“I figured it was something like that, Will,” Frederick murmured and palmed himself through his boxers again even though he knew he shouldn’t. There was something about touching himself while on the phone with Will that was disturbingly exciting. He gasped into the phone and then blushed. 

“You’re doing something right now, aren’t you. What is it, Frederick?” Will’s voice had changed, dropped a bit, and it made Frederick shudder. 

“Before you called I was, well, thinking about you,” he breathed out as his eyes fell shut, “about this morning.” 

“Yeah? What about this morning? Are you thinking about the way I pushed you against the counter before I got a phone call?” Obviously Will had somehow caught on to exactly what it was he was doing and he whined softly as the memory came to mind. “Tell me what you look like right now, Frederick.” 

He heard a door click shut on the other line and the creak of a mattress. Apparently Will was settling in for whatever it was they were about to do and it both excited and terrified Frederick. 

“I’m on my bed. My pants are down around my knees but I still have my boxers on and, ah, yeah. That’s about it,” he hated how awkward he sounded. 

“Why do you still have pants and boxers on, Frederick?” The way Will kept saying his name was driving him absolutely crazy, “get them off.” 

Frederick obeyed, shifting the phone around in his grip so that he could kick off his trousers and then slip out of the boxers. When he settled back he was just in his shirt, naked from the waist down, and he pushed his shirt up a bit to reveal his belly. The scar was there, raised and discolored, but he didn’t focus on it.  


“Okay,” he replied and swallowed hard, waiting for whatever it was Will would tell him to do next. 

“Touch yourself. Take your dick into your hand and stroke it. That’s what I wanted to do to you this morning, you know. I wanted to get you out of those pants and watch you squirm while I got you off.” Will sounded like he was enjoying it, but was also a bit breathless and Frederick wondered if he was touching himself too. 

Reaching down he took himself into his hand and closed his eyes, pretending it was Will’s hand moving over him slowly. His grip was tight as he worked up and down his shaft, pausing every now and again to rub his thumb over the head. Frederick whimpered and moaned, practically smashing the phone against the side of his head in lieu of grabbing onto the sheets. 

“That’s it, Frederick. Don’t hold back the nosies. I want to hear you since I can’t see you. Listening to you get off is making me so hard,” Will purred into the phone and Frederick pressed his head back into the pillows and moaned. 

“Will, ah, shit, please tell me you’ll come over tonight,” Frederick whimpered as he continued to stroke himself. 

“Not tonight, Frederick, keep stroking yourself though. If I were to come over tonight, what would you want?” 

“You,” he whined as he arched into his own hand, squeezing at the base before he continued jerking off, “I don’t know. Everything.” 

“You have to be more specific than that,” Will chided breathlessly, “tell me what you want me to do to you and I might be able to make it happen tomorrow.” 

“I just want to be with you,” Frederick answered with a soft gasp as he twisted his hand over the head of his cock and slid it back down, “I want to put my mouth on every inch of you and I want your mouth on every inch of me. I want your hands, Will, firm and warm holding down my hips as you fuck me.” 

“Yeah, Frederick? You want me to fuck you?” Will rumbled on the other end of the line and Frederick was certain the other man was jerking off, too. 

“Yes. I want you inside of me, god, it has been so long Will,” he whined, “I need it. I need you.”

“Imagine my hand tight and slick around your cock as I fuck you. I’d go slowly until you were gasping and begging and then I’d let you come. Do you want to come, Frederick?” 

“Yes, fuck, yes, please,” Frederick babbled, his body tensing as he felt himself drawing close. He picked up the pace of his strokes, imaging it was Will’s hand working over him, pretending Will was actually there with him whispering things into his ear as he jerked him off. 

“How badly do you want to come?” Will asked and it was followed by a gasp of his own, “god, I’m so hard thinking about you.” 

“Will, I want to come so badly, please let me. Please. Tell me to come.” He moaned and almost dropped the phone as he felt his orgasm building. 

“Do it, Frederick. Come for me, baby. Jerk yourself off until you come,” Will groaned into the phone and Frederick lost it. A few more tight strokes and he cried out as he came, eyes shut tightly as he rode out the waves of his orgasm. Come spattered on his stomach and he shuddered, continuing to stroke himself through it. 

“I bet you’re beautiful right now, Frederick,” Will murmured, sounding like he’d gotten off too and Frederick was slightly disappointed the other man wasn’t nearly as vocal about it, “covered in come, face flushed, thighs trembling.” 

He huffed softly and finally released his softening length. Frederick turned his head into the pillow and nuzzled, wishing Will were there and that it was the other man he was snuggling against. When he caught his breath he felt relaxed and exhaled slowly. 

“Are you sure you can’t come over tonight, Will?” Frederick asked after a long moment. 

“If I didn’t have things I had to do tonight to prepare for classes tomorrow, I would be there as fast as Baltimore traffic laws would allow. As it is, I’m stuck here. I promise, though, we’ll get together and talk tomorrow.” 

“I sure hope there is more than talking,” he replied indignantly and heard Will laugh. 

“Me too. Call me before you go to bed, okay?”

“Okay, Will.” Frederick murmured. There was a long beat of silence. 

“I’ll talk to you later,” Will broke the quiet almost awkwardly. 

“Yes. Take care, Will,” Frederick answered and though he was reluctant to, he hung up and tossed his phone aside. 

“Ho-ly shit.” Frederick said to the air and then laughed.


	8. We fall together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a lunchtime talk with Alana, Frederick feels a bit more confident about pursuing a relationship with Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's the last full chapter folks. I've still got an epilogue to write which will hopefully be out in the next day or so. If you noticed, the rating got upped, so there's that ;-) 
> 
> Thanks so much for all of the support and kind words, guys. This is my first time writing an AU and I was pretty nervous about it, but in the end I'm glad I went for it. I've really enjoyed it and plan to write a few more little ficlets in this universe, so keep an eye out for those. You can always keep up to date by [following me on tumblr](http://rdlenix.tumblr.com/). 
> 
> The stuff I added into Will and Frederick's discussion about Jung is 100% me. I have a small obsession with Carl Jung and his theories and since Chilton seems like such a fan of psychodynamic ideas, I thought he'd probably like Jung, too. Fun little Easter egg for you psychology people out there like me.
> 
> Also, this chapter was going to go SO differently but I like how it ended up falling together so much more. I hope y'all enjoy it, too.

Frederick felt like he was buried in Monday morning paperwork when a knock on the door jogged him out of it. He glanced up and saw Alana standing in the doorway, two bags in her hands. 

“Alana, I wasn’t expecting you.” He glanced at his watch and realized it was already past noon and he hadn’t left his office, “though I am glad to see you.”

“I figured as much. I brought lunch. It is vegetable curry from that place you like. I thought you could use a Monday pick-me-up.” She smiled at him and stepped inside, letting the door close behind her as she put the bags down on his desk. 

Frederick fussed with his paperwork and stuck things back in their appropriate folders before moving them out of the way. Eagerly he grabbed the paper bag and pulled out the Styrofoam bowls, one with the curry the other with rice, and inhaled. 

“This is perfect, Alana. Thank you.” He opened the lids and went about preparing his food while Alana prepared her own. They ate quietly together for a few moments as Frederick marveled over how hungry he was. For some reason time had gotten away from him and breakfast had long since ceased to be enough. 

“So,” Alana broke the silence in-between bites, “tell me the latest developments with you and your love interested.” 

Of course Frederick choked on his food at the mention of Will because all he could think of was the other man’s voice on the phone, telling him to touch himself. He swallowed hard and was grateful when Alana pushed a bottle of water she’d pulled out of her purse his way. Frederick greedily swallowed some of it down until his throat was clear. 

“That well, huh?” Alana commented with a small grin and Frederick realized her was blushing. 

“It is, ah, progressing,” he fiddled nervously with his fork, pushing a piece of carrot around in the curry sauce, “it is going really well, actually.” 

“And how does that make you feel?”

“Nervous,” Frederick replied honestly as he finally reestablished eye contact and was glad to find Alana smiling kindly. 

“It makes sense that you would. You’ve been out of relationships for a long time, Frederick, and now you’ve sort of fallen into one. It is bound to make anyone nervous.”

“I understand that, but it almost feels like it is moving too quickly at time. Then other times it feels like it isn’t moving quickly enough.” He huffed, frustrated, and took another bite. 

“So what you’re saying is you feel like most people do in relationships? Frederick, it is okay to feel whatever it is you are feeling, as long as you don’t close people out as you do it. Hannibal, me, Will, and I’m sure other people too want in on your space and to see you happy. You’ve been so different since you woke up on Will’s couch and started seeing him. If nothing else, give it time. Take it one day at a time, whatever that day looks like.” 

He glanced down at his food and nodded because he knew she was right. It had been a long time since he had been in a relationship and he wanted everything to speed up but also slow down because he wanted some sort of stability. Yet the only way to find stability would be to live in the moment, which was not something he was good at doing. 

“I want to be able to see the next few steps. I am a planner, Alana, and Will is probably the most unpredictable thing in my life right now.” 

“Maybe you need some unpredictability in your life, Frederick. There isn’t anything wrong with it.” 

He fiddled with his tie, hand slipping down to rest over his belly. The attack had sucked all the fun out of unpredictability. Unpredictability led him to being grabbed, strapped to a chair, and cut open. Sometimes the images still haunted him. Even though he knew Will wasn’t a killer, the thought of taking each day without knowing exactly what it all would result in petrified him. He wanted order, not mysteries. Order was safer.

“Frederick,” Alana said softly and he glanced up at her shyly, “you can’t live in its shadow forever. At some point you have to step into the light, and you’ve been given a great opportunity to do that.” 

“Why must you always be right about these things, Alana?” Frederick asked with a soft laugh as he took a deep breath and then returned to picking at his food. 

“It is part of my charm, obviously,” she answered and the mood picked up for the rest of their lunch. 

*

The knock came around 7:30 that evening and Frederick uncurled himself from where he’d been sitting on the couch in the den. He took a moment to stretch, listened to the silence, before smiling when there was a second more timid knock that followed the first. Frederick padded out of the room, through the kitchen, and over to the door. When he opened it, Will was standing there holding a bouquet of what appeared to be wild flowers and Frederick couldn’t help but smile at the sight. 

“Evening, Will,” he felt a little bit bashful and completely giddy, having discovered a new sense of confidence after his talk with Alana at lunch. “Come on in,” Frederick stepped back and motioned inside and Will entered and looked around the entryway. 

“You have a beautiful home, Frederick. It puts my apartment to shame,” he laughed to himself and then offered up the flowers, “these are for you. I know it isn’t a cactus, but I thought you might like them anyway.” 

He accepted the flowers with a shy smile and inhaled, enjoying the subtle earthy scent they produced. It brought to mind memories of the warm sun on his skin and a cool breeze. How Will had managed to give him something that was literally a breath of fresh air, he’d never know, but it made him feel warm inside. 

“Thank you, Will. I’m going to go put them in water. Make yourself at home.” He disappeared into the kitchen to locate a vase. After he set the vase containing the flowers in the middle of the kitchen counter, he made his way back into the main living room and found Will perusing the books lining a large oak book case he kept against the far wall. 

“The Earth has a Soul by Carl Jung, huh? Are you a fan of his?” Will asked casually as he drew his fingertips over the spines of the books. 

“Actually, quite a big fan. I’ve always been more partial to psychodynamic ideas than any of the more contemporary therapeutic modalities. There is something beautiful in the idea of varying levels of consciousness and unconsciousness,” he stepped up beside Will, eyes drifting over the familiar books, “and the underlying motivations that drive us when we don’t even understand it. The wonderful thing about Jung is that he took an anthropological stance on the issues and gave more concrete evidence than Freud ever did. It isn’t any wonder they parted ways so early on.” 

“What do you think of the collective unconscious?” 

“Hmm,” Frederick considered it, enjoying the foray into something he understood and felt comfortable talking about, “I think it is intriguing and as good an explanation as any as to why there are archetypes which transcend culture and geological locations. Even as man evolved in different areas of the globe, they all shared basic ideas of good and evil, the wise and the foolish, and these ideas came out in their stories and mythologies. Two cultures could never touch and yet there are certain conclusions that both came to, so it seems to suggest some sort of shared connection. Of course, we can’t ever scientifically prove it, but it is an idea, isn’t it?” 

“Yes,” Will turned and Frederick met his gaze, “so, do we talk about last night or…” he trailed off and glanced away and it was nice to know they were both a bit nervous. 

He pushed his nerves aside and pulled Will in for a kiss. Actions often spoke louder than words after all, and he wouldn’t even know where to begin if he wanted to talk. Will responded well to the kiss. He leaned down into it, his arms moving around Frederick’s waist to pull their bodies together. Frederick opened his mouth and moaned softly as Will’s tongue worked against his. Gently, he was pushed against the book case which shifted ever so slightly from his weight but otherwise stood firm as Will held him against it and they kissed. 

Frederick pulled back to breath, fingers working up into Will’s curly hair. He rubbed his fingertips against the other man’s scalp and tilted his head back as Will’s mouth worked down along his throat. It was heavenly, Will’s mouth against his skin, and with every touch of his lips he felt the knot in his stomach easing. 

“Maybe we should move somewhere a bit more comfortable?” Will’s words vibrated against his skin and forced a shiver out of him. 

“Bedroom,” Frederick breathed as he stole another kiss before he squirmed out of Will’s grasp and grabbed his hand. He led him upstairs into the master bedroom, which wasn’t much to boast about. It had an on-suite bathroom, a king sized bed dressed in charcoal colored sheets with a lighter grey comforter, and a few other pieces of furniture. As he stepped through the door he paused and looked around the room before he glanced at Will. He thought the other man would be studying the room, but instead he found a pair of intense blue eyes trained directly on him. Frederick shivered and made a surprised noise when Will leaned in to take another kiss, his hand moving up to rest on the side of Frederick’s face while his other arm moved around his middle. 

Slowly they made their way to the bed, kissing and running their hands over each other’s clothed bodies. Frederick was already barefoot; Will haphazardly kicked off his shoes and fell back onto the bed. He pulled Frederick along with him. With a bit of shifting, Frederick settled half on top of Will and leaned in to reestablish the kiss. He was pretty sure he could kiss Will all night and be content because the other man’s mouth was marvelous. Every stroke of their tongues and gentle drag of teeth pulled a new noise out of one or both of them as hands wandered. 

Will’s hands slipped under the back of Frederick’s shirt, fingertips drawing up along his spine and then back down. Slowly, Frederick was rolled onto his back and pressed into the bed without ever breaking the kiss. He felt his shirt ride up and Will’s fingertips began tracing along his belly until they brushed against the long strip of raised flesh and stopped. Frederick jerked a bit in surprise and reflexively reached down to grab Will’s wrist, his fingers wrapping around it firmly. 

“Frederick?” Will asked as he pulled back and glanced down at the half revealed scar, “what is it?” 

“We have to stop for a second,” Frederick admitted and closed his eyes tightly, swallowing down the sudden spark of fear that coursed through him. The last person to touch his scar had been Hannibal, and the touch seemed so far away. Most days, he did his best to ignore the angry reminder of Abel Gideon’s hatred, but he knew Will would ask about it. It was sort of difficult to ignore, after all. 

“Okay,” Will pulled his hand out of Frederick’s vice grip but then took his hand and laced their fingers together, “it is okay, we can stop.” 

Frederick opened his eyes finally and looked down at their joined hands before he met Will’s concerned gaze. The other man was watching him so carefully and there was a wave of affection that came over him because Will was willing to stop, to listen, and he had his full attention. So he leaned in for another kiss, one that was almost chaste, and Will hummed comfortingly into it. Reluctantly Frederick pulled back and rested his head against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to figure out where to start. 

While he gathered his thoughts, Will pressed comforting kisses along his jaw and the side of his neck. He squeezed the other man’s hand gratefully. 

“You don’t have to be ashamed of it,” Will murmured against his skin and Frederick felt his stomach drop. 

“How do you know I’m ashamed of it?” Frederick asked, though his tone of voice definitely gave it all away as it wavered nervously.

“I have a way of understanding people, and your body language screamed it. I could pretend it isn’t there, if that makes it easier?” 

“No, Will. It is just a scar. I have to stop romanticizing it and giving it power over me,” now he was repeating Hannibal’s words and he wished he could feel them as easily as he said them, “I was attacked.” 

“I know.”

Frederick looked at Will, confused. 

“How?” 

“Frederick, I’m not stupid and I don’t live under a rock,” Will laughed and nuzzled affectionately at the underside of his jaw, “you saw the news about the Hobbs case, I saw the news about the administrator of the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane getting attacked by a patient. I just didn’t think it was relevant and I guess I didn’t realize it would really come up unless you wanted it to.” 

“Do you have any idea how much I’ve agonized about this?” Frederick asked as he playfully shoved Will onto his back and settled on top of the man, staring down into blue eyes filled with kindness that set his world off kilter. The kindness and acceptance was directed at him and it was unsettling. 

“I think I have an idea, based on the last five minutes.” Will reached up and drew his fingertips along Frederick’s jaw and he couldn’t help but lean into the touch. 

“So you know that I was attacked,” he hesitated, “I don’t even know what all the details were. By the time I was out of the hospital and not sleeping all day, the stories had pretty much ceased.”

“They really ended at you being attacked. The details were a mess; something about you being gutted but also being fine,” Will pulled him down for a kiss and Frederick allowed it, “do you want to tell me about it?” 

“A patient grabbed me during a chaotic moment where he was able to escape,” Frederick murmured, his mouth half an inch away from Will’s as he settled comfortably on top of the other man, “he did gut me, sort of. He cut me open, started to remove my organs. He made it as far as my kidney before a fast acting security guard shot him in the head. I was awake the entire time.” He felt numb telling the story, but somehow it had lost its sting in Will’s presence. It was a new feeling, and certainly less terrifying than he had anticipated. 

“You’re safe now,” Will pointed out as he kissed Frederick’s cheek and nuzzled at his stubble, “I’m safe now, too. Two completely safe people, even after what happened to us.”

“I suppose when it all sits in my head for too long I forget that it is in the past and all that is left is a scar,” he leaned down and pressed his face into the curve of Will’s neck and inhaled, letting the other man’s scent ground him. Will smelled like earth and dogs with a hint of cinnamon and the faded remnants of his aftershave. It was comforting and Will’s hands running up and down his back added to it. 

“Scars are both mental and physical, though I think you already know that. It is okay to share them, especially with me.” Will’s breath was warm against his ear and he shivered when the other man’s teeth grazed his earlobe. 

“God, Will, thank you. Sometimes I can’t believe you’re real. I’ve been without, well, this, for so long I guess I just can’t remember what it is like for things to just be okay.”

“That’s sad, Frederick, but I’m glad we get a chance to change it,” Will smiled and Frederick felt like that was the moment he knew he could fall in love with him. 

Will flipped them and ground their hips together suggestively with a little grin. 

“Fuck me, Will,” Frederick groaned as he wrapped one of his legs around the back of Will’s in order to slot their hips together. 

“That’s the plan,” Will replied as he leaned in and pressed their lips together. 

Even with how eager they both were, Frederick realized they were taking their time. Will’s hands slowly pushed his clothes off. First, his shirt was pushed up over his head and tossed to the side. Then Will’s mouth explored his bare shoulders, chest, and belly in a way that left Frederick squirming and groaning. He tugged at Will’s shirt half heartedly and eventually with a bit of team work they got it off and Frederick rolled them. 

It was his turn to explore as his mouth worked a line of kisses and nips along Will’s shoulder, one of his hands wandering across the expanse of the other man’s chest. Then his hand slipped down and undid the fly of Will’s trousers and he reached inside to cup his erection through the thin briefs separating them. He appreciated the way Will arched up into it, and felt the other man groan just as much as he heard it. 

“Frederick,” Will murmured as his fingers tangled in Frederick’s thick hair. 

They continued to roll, Will taking control and exploring for a time as he got Frederick’s trousers and then boxers off, leaving him naked. Then, as turnabout was fair play, Frederick pushed Will into the bed and stripped him until they were both naked, their bodies pressed together as they shared a heated kiss. Frederick felt light headed in the best way, his body on fire with desire as their erections slid together. 

Finally, Will pushed Frederick off of him gently and reached over to the bedside table. He cast Frederick a questioning glance and he just nodded in return, winning a smile from Will. From the drawer, Will produced a condom and lubricant and Frederick shifted onto his knees and hugged a pillow to his chest. It had been years since he’d been with anyone and his body ached for it. Will moved across the bed and settled behind him. He felt the other man’s mouth on his lower back and shivered, fingers curling tightly in the pillow he was holding when hands spread him and a warm tongue lapped at his hole. 

“Will,” he moaned, every touch of tongue sending a jolt of arousal straight to his already hard dick. He reached down and stroked himself a couple of times and heard Will moan, hopefully in response to seeing him touch himself. The other man’s devilish tongue lapped against him and then pressed teasingly in and Frederick shuddered beneath the attention. He was pretty sure he could come from those attentions alone, but soon Will’s tongue was replaced by two lubed fingers that worked into him with ease. 

“You’re beautiful,” Will observed from behind him, his free hand resting warmly against Frederick’s hip before sliding down along the back of his thigh, “absolutely stunning.” 

Frederick began working himself back against the fingers, suddenly desperate to have Will inside of him. Will chuckled and added a third finger, curling them, searching until Frederick saw a flash of white and cried out. He worked himself back a few more times, moaning openly, until Will’s hand stilled him and the fingers were removed. Then Will moved away from him and shifted back up to the head of the bed, sitting and leaning back against the headboard. 

Fighting to catch his breath, Frederick turned his head and watched as Will slid the condom over the hard length of him and then applied lube before they made eye contact. Frederick moved and clambered somewhat clumsily into Will’s lap. As he settled in with his knees on either side of Will’s legs, he reached out to rest his hands on the headboard and glanced down. 

The last time he’d done something like this was with Hannibal and the memory that flooded back to the forefront of his mind made him whimper. 

“What are you thinking about?” Will whispered suggestively into his ear as Frederick felt him line them up, the head of Will’s prick pressing against him. 

“The last time I did this,” Frederick answered honestly and shuddered as he began to sink down onto Will’s cock, groaning at the stretch of it. 

“Whoever it was, was a lucky man,” Will pressed a kiss to Frederick’s hairline as he finally sank all the way down, “because you are perfect.” 

Slowly they began working together, Will’s hips lifting to press up as Frederick pushed down. It took a little while but soon they found their rhythm, each moving into the other. Frederick’s knuckles were white from gripping the headboard but he felt Will’s hands pull his down to his shoulders. He anchored himself there, hands resting on strong shoulders as he worked himself on the other man’s cock and tilted his head back to moan. 

Will’s hands smoothed up and down his back, fingernails teasingly drawing along his skin. Frederick felt flushed, warm, and full as he shifted his hips to angle them and came down on the right spot. 

“Will, fuck,” he groaned as he worked down onto the other man’s cock at the same angle again and again, shuddering with every push. His fingernails bit into the skin on Will’s shoulders and the other man growled with what sounded like pleasure and Frederick filed it into the back of his head for later. Will’s hand slipped between them and wrapped around Frederick’s leaking prick and he almost lost it right then and there, desperately picking up the pace of his movements as he pushed down onto Will’s cock and then forward into his hand. 

Then, Will’s arm wrapped around his waist and he felt them tip. In a moment of panic, Frederick yelped and dug his fingertips into Will’s shoulders all the more until his back hit the sheets and he relaxed. Will was above him, but their bodies were almost completely pressed together. Frederick shifted his legs and wrapped them around Will’s hips and the other man took over, thrusting into him hard and fast. 

“Shit,” Frederick gasped and bared his throat, which Will took advantage of, his mouth roaming all over the expanse of it as he pounded into him. Frederick felt like a ball of raw nerves as he sped quickly toward orgasm, every touch, kiss, and thrust sending almost painful but still pleasurable sparks through his entire body. From the top of his head to where his toes curled he felt like a live wire, all crackling energy being fueled by Will’s movements. 

“I’m going to come, Frederick,” Will growled into his ear and then pressed his face into Frederick’s neck. Frederick clung to the other man, words dying on his lips because all he could do was moan and gasp until he tensed and came with a shout. His entire body trembled, every atom of his being screaming out in raw pleasure, as his hot come splashed against both of their bellies. He tightened around Will and the other man thrust into him one final time, buried deeply inside, and came with a long, low groan against Frederick’s skin. 

Time hung still for that moment as they shared air and space, their bodies covered in sweat from exertion. Finally, Frederick began to unwrap himself from Will, releasing the other man as he slumped into the bed. He was trembling in the aftermath of it all and barely noticed it when Will’s warmth left him for a moment before it returned and there was a wash cloth working against his belly to clean up the mess they’d made. Frederick squirmed and then laughed a bit, feeling giddy and ticklish as he forced his eyes open and gazed fondly at Will. 

Words weren’t necessary, and for that Frederick was glad because he was pretty sure he would need a few hours before he could form a coherent thought. Instead, they wordlessly tangled up in each other, bodies pressed together beneath the blankets. Frederick’s head was tucked beneath Will’s chin, their legs curled together, and sleep came easily as he drifted off to the sound of the other man’s breathing and the beat of his heart.


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frederick reflects on what he's got.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! It took me forever to write a 500 word ending because I just didn't want it to end. This part of it will pass on, but there will be more to write in this little universe in the future. Thanks for sticking with me through it guys!

Frederick barely noticed the crisp breeze as it brushed by him where he stood. His attention was directed out toward a sprawling field where Will and the two dogs played a rousing game of fetch. Will had one of those ball throwing sticks in order to propel the ball further across the field. Winston would bolt after it and almost always got to the ball first, but Buster tried to keep up with the younger dog’s pace and every once and a blue moon he’d grab the ball when Winston dropped it. It was fascinating to watch, the back and forth as the dogs scrambled after the bright green tennis ball. 

He heard Will’s laughter on the wind and it warmed him. The other man’s hair was tousled by the wind, red cheeks visible even from Frederick’s distance. Sometimes he wondered how it had all worked out, him and Will. They’d been perfect strangers when he broke into the other man’s house and yet now they were closer than Frederick ever believed he could be to someone. Lost in his thoughts, he barely registered the tennis ball flying by him and Winston breezing past him after it. He was startled when Buster toddled up and put his muddy front paws on the leg of his pants. 

Frederick made a bit of a face because he was wearing a pair of his good jeans, but reached down and patted the dog on the head anyway. When Buster had his fill he hurried off after Winston who had lain down in the grass to happily chew the tennis ball. He watched the dogs and jumped a bit when a pair of familiar arms wrapped around his waist and he was pulled back against a firm chest. 

“You’ve got mud on your jeans,” Will pointed out, breath warm against his ear. 

“I’m beginning to notice staying clean around dogs is a bit of a challenge,” Frederick replied good naturedly and shivered when the other man pressed a warm kiss just under his ear. 

“That’s okay, I don’t plan to let you stay in those jeans long once we get home, anyway.”

He could hear the smile in Will’s voice and when he turned in the other man’s embrace he got to witness it. It was a sly little thing, but partnered with the mischievous glint in his lover’s eyes its message was well received. Frederick pressed his face into the curve of Will’s neck and hummed in reply as he tried to bat away the images that sprang into his mind at the suggestion. 

“Will,” he loved the way the other man was learning how to play him. Will knew what to say, how to say it, where to touch in order to tease, and it felt nice to be known. Hannibal and Alana were right: it was easier to be known and cared for than struggle alone. 

“Come on. Let’s round up the mutts and get you home.” Will squeezed him around the middle and then turned, leaving one arm slung low on Frederick’s waist, his hand sliding into the back pocket of his jeans. It made Frederick blush, but he liked it, and leaned into Will’s side as they walked toward the car. All it took was a whistle and the dogs were trotting at their side, the tennis ball in Buster’s mouth. 

It was a weird sort of arrangement and a different type of family than Frederick had ever planned for, but he decided he could get used to it.


End file.
